{The government of Rwanda has revealed a plan to collaborate with partners to seek a well organized way of relocating Burundi refugees to other countries which some people misunderstood and thought refugees will be forced to leave.}
After revealing the decision, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed worries over Rwandan decision to relocate Burundi refugees to other countries.
UNHCR said that requesting to relocate Burundi refugees would be a step back from attained achievements over the past years.
After holding talks with Tanzanian minister of foreign affairs, Augustine Philip Mahiga, Minister Mushikiwabo said that Tanzania and Rwanda have to maximize benefits of meetings and extend talks to Burundi crisis as countries sharing many elements compared to other East African Countries.
Mushikiwabo said that both countries have demonstrated sorrowfulness over unsolved Burundi crisis and highlighted a shared wish of seeing Burundi in normal situation.
“Rwanda has not planned dismissing Burundi refugees; we already respect international agreements and Geneva accords among others on humanity of Burundians. They are brothers and sisters on our land where we guarantee their security. But keeping them on our land for long becomes political and doesn’t allow us to fully contribute as a neighboring country,” she said.
Mushikiwabo noted that the government of Rwanda decided to collaborate with UNHCR and other partners to address the Burundi refugee crisis.
“It is a decision related to the security of our nation. We couldn’t ask permission from UNHCR but we had a moment of discussing with them as an organization responsible for refugees and various partners to seek a country which can accommodate them,” she said.
“We have considered the partnership with US, France, African countries and I hope we will get a quick solution and together seek how to sustainably address Burundi crisis,” added Mushikiwabo.
The decision of Rwandan government of relocating Burundi refugees was taken following various reports alleging Rwanda to recruit some of Burundi refugees in the army to capacitate them to overthrow president Nkurunziza on power, a claim Rwanda said it is a false accusation.
Rwanda accommodates over 75,000 Burundi refugees having fled their country since the raise of May 2015 security breaks in Burundi when president Nkurunziza decided to run for third term which brought contestations among oppositions saying the term was illegal.
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