On his second day in Rwanda, Grandi met President Paul Kagame and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and East African Community Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo.
Through his twitter account Grandi said “I have learned much from my refugee experience”: Africa has in President Paul Kagame a visionary leader who understands the importance of innovative solutions to forced displacement. Grateful for an inspiring discussion with him and Foreign Affairs Minister Louise Mushikiwabo.”
He also visited Kigali Genocide Memorial Center and paid tribute to over 250,000 victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi laid to rest there.
“Profoundly humbled to be in Kigali during the commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi. We must do everything in our power for this never to happen again anywhere in the world,” reads his twitter message.
{{Visit to Congolese Refugee camp}}
Yesterday, Grandi visited Gihembe Refugee camp in Gicumbi District. The camp hosts a number of Congolese Refugees.
Grandi who arrived in Rwanda from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is expected to visit Burundi.
Speaking to the media yesterday in Gicumbi, Grandi said that he is visiting the region to look at diverse refugee situations and see how they can better respond to their needs.
“I’m visiting this region to look at various refugee situations and see how we can better meet the needs of the refugees, but also of the host countries and most importantly how we can find solutions for the problems of refugees,” he said.
In Gihembe refugee camp, refugees raised different issues including insufficient food rations, poor access to medication, dilapidated houses and access to education among others.
The UNHCR boss said that they are going to experiment new approaches like talking to World Food Programme about food. He said that they think that there’s need to increase the capacity for refugees to be self-reliant.
“They have been in this country for more than 20 years, and I think the time has come for them to have access to employment and of course to national services,” he said.
“To do that we need to strengthen national services, it is unfair to ask Rwanda to host these people and not to give enough support to the country. So, this is another purpose for me to be here,” he added.
Grandi said that for these refugees to return in their home country (DRC), UNHCR need to discuss it with DRC and Rwanda.
While in Congo he said, he discussed the matter with DRC President, Joseph Kabila. He said that it is important for people to return in their country, not only these in Rwanda but also Congolese Refugees in Zambia, Angola, Burundi and Tanzania.
“I told them that they have to create conditions on the ground that is secured as there are many security problems in Eastern DRC. We need to address these problems so that the people abroad can go back, which is what many of them want to do,” he said.
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