UNHCR denies Granting DRC IDs to Rwandan Refugees

{{The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has no mandate to grant Congolese identity to Rwandan refugees living in the DRC.}}

The representative of UNHCR in DRC, Etienne Kouassi said reacting to statements by women who accused the UNHCR of trying to maintain the Rwandan refugees in the DRC.

“UNHCR is not intended to force people to go home. We provide logistics to help people to return “said Kouassi.

According to him, the status of refugees was given to these people as they arrived on Congolese soil.

“When they arrived they were granted refugee status at first glance. It was that they were Rwandans and that was enough, “said Kouassi.

He urged the governments of the DRC and Rwanda to dialogue to find a solution to the problem of Rwandan refugees living in the DRC.

“Today, when people come and they want to leave the DRC they pass through the National Commission for Refugees. Our colleagues from Rwanda are informed and the authorities of Rwanda as well.

I think the two governments did not cut the deck. They interact, they consult. That is a political problem and not the UNHCR to comment on that, “Said Kouassi.

The challenge of Rwandan refugees was also discussed at a ministerial meeting held Thursday, April 18 in Pretoria, South Africa. It was attended by eleven countries including the DRC.

The Congolese government has refused to sign an agreement on the cessation of status of Rwandan refugees on its soil.

The governor of North Kivu, Julien Paluku, explained that the DRC is concerned that that his country had refused such agreement, because it would automatically turn the Rwandan refugees into Congolese.

Speaking on American broadcaster VOA Tuesday morning, Rwanda’s Minister of disaster management and refugee affairs, Seraphine Mukantabana said the media reports were wrong and misleading.

The minister added that the Congolese media report was “shocking” as she had not heard anything like that officially from DRC.

Minister Mukantabana said the DRC official delegation to Pretoria had instead indicated that it would seek the guidance from the Congolese parliament on how to deal with the cessation clause issue.