Help dialogue at all levels about refugees in DRC

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is confronted with so many challenges among them to pacific cohabitation between all forced migrants people and their host communities. We continue seeing tensions and avoidable problems between refugees and host communities, which at the same time bring warns between DRC and Rwanda.

Due to lack of proper information and community engagement, recently when Rwandans Army withdrew from the city of Uvira in South Kivu Province, many Tutsi and Rwandan refugees who stayed in Uvira also left and followed Rwandan Army on ground that they may be attacked by militia groups and the Congolese Army which took over the city.

Up to now these tensions have continued to exist in areas where Tutsi refugees in DRC are living indicating their fear to be attacked by the DRC Army despite various statements from the army to protect each civilians on the DRC Territory.

The lack of trust among the communities and the lack of trust among the refugees and the security institutions are at the cause of various problems.

We can solve this through community engagement and through dialogue at all level. Currently it is urgent to engage on dialogue focusing on the protection of Tutsi and Rwandan refugees in South Kivu and in North Kivu. Please help us to make this happen.

BRINGING OF TABLE THE REFUGEE PROTECTION AGENDA

We are bringing on the now the effective protection of refugees in the Democratic Republic. With the work we have done in South Kivu, North Kivu and Tanganyika Provinces we have reached to the conclusion that the host communities are willing to live in harmony with refugees. However the load of work is on the side of the government which should organize refugees, and put in place in protection approach which responds to all their needs.

As per now, DRC government has not yet put in place a refugee protection approach, it also the same with its strategic partners mainly UNHCR which is more focused of refugee repatriation as the only durable solution.

Three things now have to change and this requires a strong advocacy programme focusing on policies (to change the current refugee law in DRC), the human resource (train new actors who will have a human center approach and) then lastly financial resource (most of refugee activities highly depend on financial support from UNHCR), and this is not the best way. Government offices working on refugees issues are hired by UNHCR, office furniture are provided by UNHCR and all activities depend on UNHCR.

It is now time to engage of various forms of dialogue at national level, please continue supporting our activities.