Burundi President invites Refugees back "For the sake of Peace"

 By Our Staff Correspondent, BUJUMBURA Burundi

The Burundian leader Major Gen. Évariste Ndayishimiye, suggested that for the sake of peace, his government will reach out to the to the bereaved groups following the ‘distress’ the country went through but fell short of mentioning the 2015 political stand-off which plunged the country into a political crisis and post-election conflict.

Burundi refugees receive support from UNHCR

More than 333, 500 people fled the country, at least 60, 000 remain in camps in Rwanda while over 160, 000 are in Tanzania. Uganda and the DR Congo also host over 90, 000 combined.

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) update of May 2020, the above total reflects the refugee population covered by the Burundi Regional Refugee Response Plan and includes Burundian refugees who fled since April 2015, as well as some 37,000 Burundian refugees who sought asylum in the region prior to April 2015.

In addition to the population above, there are some 13,800 Burundian refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya, 7,800 in Mozambique, 8,300 in Malawi, 9,200 in South Africa and 6,000 in Zambia.

Ndayishimiye said that they are all welcome to return, including ‘those who fear to return because of what they did’.

Major Gen. Évariste Ndayishimiye

“We know that there are those who are afraid to return because of fear of what they did or what their friends did. Even those we wish them to return,” he said, adding a cynical proverb that suggests that a baby who soils a shawl that a parent uses to carry him or her is forgiven but when a grown child does so, they are cautioned never to do it again.

Despite the calls, Burundian refugees in Rwanda say they are not yet convinced that it is safe to return home, pointing out that the same system they fled from in 2015 remains at the helm, only with a different leader.

Emmanuel Nkengurutse, a former lawmaker and lawyer, who fled the country in 2015, told our reporter that Ndayishimiye’s government is made up of the same individuals and generals who terrorised and killed people, especially protesters in 2015.

Nkengurutse described the new government as a mere change of guard, minus President Nkurunziza who was buried on Friday in a state funeral.

The Government said the former leader who died aged 55 succumbed to a cardiac arrest but various reports pointed to COVID-19.

Ismael Buchanan, senior lecturer of the department of political science at the University of Rwanda, said the biggest challenge that President Ndayishimiye’s government is facing is “demobilizing the dreaded Imbonerakure,” a youth wing of the ruling party which has been accused of killings and other abuses.

“Ndayishimiye’s inauguration marked the first peaceful transfer of power to a new president in Burundi, so let him work on the issue of reconciliation so that he can bring back peace and harmony among Burundians. He will also need to work on the issue of ethnic tensions which have plagued Burundi ever since its independence,” Buchanan said.

“In terms of Burundian economy, we all know how Burundi remains one of the world's poorest countries and is heavily dependent on foreign aid to meet the government expenditure. So, the new president will have to deal with this issue of dependency.” He said. - Africa