The Kisoro district LCV chairperson Abel Bizimana has criticized the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for their reluctance while dealing with militarized insurgences on the African Continent especially in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Camp sources reveal that, a cumulative total number of Congolese Asylum seekers who fled their country into Uganda via the Bunagana border, Kisoro district since the 28th of March, 2022 stands at 36,420 individuals of 18,643 households. A total of 9,290 Congolese at the transit camp in Nyakabande voluntarily agreed to be relocated further in-land into settlement camps of Nakivale and Kyaka.
It is close to four months now since the Asylum seekers fled into Uganda.
However, majority of the Congolese in Kisoro have remained adamant to leave host communities bordering the Eastern DRC, hoping to return home very soon.
Despite government’s efforts to have these move to a designated area 12kms away from the border, many have insisted on hanging around people’s homes and places of business in Bunagana town council, Muramba, Nyarubuye, Rukundo town council and Nyarusiza Sub County causing competition for food, shelter and odd jobs to do, a situation that has left a bitter taste among the host communities due to the insatiable needs.
Addressing an IGAD delegation at the Kisoro district Council Hall, Bizimana accused IGAD and other regional bodies of negligence against finding solutions to such African problems.
“With all these regional blocs and organizations in Africa we have failed to stop a small rebel group like M23. We are masqueraders and pretenders but this needs to stop if we are to realize the kind of Africa we desire.” Bizimana said.
Bizimana further threatened to lead his voters among the host communities into a revolt in the coming weeks if IGAD and other humanitarian agencies operating in the area do not give attention to the matter.
IGAD Delegation head who also doubles as the Commissioner for Refugees, Musa Ali says the regional bloc is going to improve its management of refugee and humanitarian affairs on the African continent.
IGAD is an eight-country trade bloc in Africa headquartered in Djibouti whose mission is to assist and complement the efforts of the member states to achieve increased cooperation, food security and environmental protection, peace and security, economic cooperation and integration.
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