Refugees from Nkamira Transit Centre in the north western district of Rubavu are being transferred to the southern Gisagara District.

 This was revealed by officials from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (Midmar).

The first batch of refugees, according to midmar officials, arrived in the newly-constructed Mugombwa camp on Monday and the operation is expected to continue until all the refugees in question have been transferred to the new camp.

Officials say the relocation is meant to comply with international standards that bar refugees from staying near the borders of the country they fled.

Mugombwa camp is set to accommodate about 10,000 Congolese refugees who have been temporarily hosted at Nkamira since 2012.

Mugombwa Refugee Camp becomes the second facility for Congolese refugees to be established in the country following the outbreak of violence in the eastern DR Congo mid-2012. The other is located in Kigeme, Nyamagabe District with over 18,000 refugees.

Mugombwa camp now brings the total number of refugee camps in the country to five, after Kigeme, Nyabiheke, Kiziba and Gihembe.

Rwanda hosts more than 73,000 Congolese refugees.

Refugees’ safety

Refugees affairs minister Seraphine Mukantabana, reiterated the commitment of the government to protect refugees and assist them as long as they are on the Rwandan territory.

The minister, who visited the camp this week, said the government will continue to participate in all initiatives, both at regional and international levels, meant to restore peace in DR Congo so that the refugees can be given a chance to go back to their home country.

"The establishment of this camp is a demonstration of our efforts towards the protection of refugees,” Mukantabana said.

She thanked the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) for its continued support to the government of Rwanda in handling the influx of Congolese refugees since April 2012. 

Mugombwa refugee camp covers 47.7 hectares of land.  Infrastructures like schools, water and sanitation facilities have been established at the camp to serve both refugees and local communities.