It is another genocide against Rwandan refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo
These images were taken last week on Friday December 23rd, 2022 during our community meeting in Goma with refugees. We are more moved with efforts to promote the protection of refugees in DRCongo, before various actors used to tell us that these refugees do not exist yet they are here, over the years the Rwandan Government has claimed that these refugees are part of armed groups against Rwanda mainly FDLR and sometimes claiming that they are Interahamwe or participated in the Genocide in Rwanda, they reality is that most of these are simple and vulnerable civilians and have no history with armed groups, many among were either children or not yet born during the genocide.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other United Nations Agencies in DRCongo have put in place a policy that criminalizes them and all interventions in place is either they are assassinated, either they are arrested and deported to Rwanda, either they forced to repatriate or just face forced disappearance. While DRCongo could have more than 4million of refugees from Rwanda, there is no camp for them and even UNHCR cannot give a clear explanation why that, apart from vague security issues which are not to justify the failure to protect them while in DRCongo.
Rwandan refugees in Goma during our community meeting, last Friday, many wondering how they are labeled negatively and criminalized for what they did not do.
As a result we can say that we do observe another genocide against Rwandan refugees in DRCongo because they do not have any protection.
UNHCR finally is confronted with the facts and recognized that Rwandan refugees do not want to go back to Rwanda
This was her first UNHCR statement, two weeks ago UNHCR engaged the Press and Media in Goma and clearly indicated that Rwandan Refugees do not want to go back to Rwanda. UNHCR has been among other agencies that played various roles to help Rwanda pick refugees in DRCongo and send them to Rwanda where reports have suggested that they are also persecuted.
As we all now form a consensus that these refugees should be protected now it is time we engage on serious issues that affect them.
