Members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) have urged Burundian refugees not to lose hope, saying the region is working round the clock to settle the political deadlock that forced them to flee their home country.

The regional legislators today will visit them as part of a regional search for a lasting solution to the political impasse in Burundi

 The MPs are on a country tour specifically aimed at getting a better understanding of the status of Burundi refugees in Rwanda as the Assembly is considering how to appropriately intercede.

The legislative arm of the East African Community (EAC) has initiated a goodwill mission comprised of its standing Committee on Regional Affairs and Conflict Resolution, whose members are to travel to Rwanda and Tanzania to visit and assess the situation in camps hosting Burundians refugees.

After a closed-door meeting at the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (MIDIMAR), yesterday, MP Hafsa Mossi, the chairperson of Burundi’s EALA Chapter, told The New Times that she is carrying a message of hope.

Mossi said: "Nobody can flee his or her country when he or she is safe.

"My message to them is to encourage them and to give them hope that the dialogue has started in the country, and that maybe, we should hope that in the next few months, things will become normal so that they can go back home.”

A memo by EALA clerk Kenneth Madete to the two countries notes that following the political and humanitarian crisis in the wake of the current Burundi political crisis and an attempted coup, more than 100,000 Burundian citizens fled to seek refuge in the neighbouring partner states of Rwanda and Tanzania.

The situation in the refugee camps is reported to be appalling, reads part of the memo, signaling the need for the regional parliament’s own ground assessment.

The goodwill visit aims at appraising the regional Assembly about the humanitarian situation on the ground and the arrangements in place to deal with the crisis; re-affirming EALA’s commitment to Burundi in finding the lasting solution to the current political impasse; and visiting the refugee camps to bond with and console the victims of the crisis.

Parallel visits

The parallel committee visits in the two countries end on Friday.

Eight-member teams, one led by MP Abdullah Mwinyi (Tanzania) and another by MP Abubakar Zein (Kenya) are simultaneously visiting Tanzania and Rwanda, respectively.

In Kigali, MP Celestin Kabahizi (Rwanda) said: "We represent the people of the Community. Thus, we need to show them [Burundian refugees] that we are with them and we are working to find a solution to their problem.”

The MPs will travel to Mahama Refugee Camp in Kirehe District, today, to have a "free walk” in camp neighbourhood, informally interact with refugees, and visit refugee shelters, water points, health posts, registration sites, and others.

They will also visit the refugee transit camps in Bugesera District, tomorrow, before they embark on brainstorming session and report writing on Thursday.

Some 132 more Burundian refugees were received in the country on Sunday. The total number of refugees in Rwanda – as of Sunday evening – stood at 28,635, said Frederic Ntawukuriryayo, the communication specialist at MIDIMAR.

Over 110,000 Burundians have fled the restive country, with over 70,000 crossing to neighboring Tanzania, over 9,800 to DR Congo, and over 3,500 are reportedly in Uganda.

Meanwhile, the legislators’ mission is in line with the EAC’s continued search for a lasting solution to Burundi’s political stalemate.

The second emergency summit of EAC Heads of State on the situation in Burundi, held in Dar es Salaam, on Sunday, expressed sympathy with Burundians, following the violence in their country which resulted into the deaths of many people, influx of refugees in neighbouring countries, destruction of property and paralysing businesses.

The summit reiterated concern on the continued political impasse in Burundi and called for a postponement of the elections for a period not less than one and a half months, a period during which, members of the summit led by its chairperson, Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, will consult with all stakeholders in Burundi on the way forward.

The summit called for urgent disarmament of armed youth groups allied to political parties, and called on the African Union, the United Nations and all other partners to cooperate with the EAC toward the attainment of peace and stability in the country.