NORTHERN PROVINCE

RUBAVU—The Gisenyi sector authority will soon destroy over 20 recently-constructed houses on Rubavu hill, neighboring Gisenyi town, on environmental protection grounds.

Emanuel Manzimpaka, sector coordinator, revealed this in a security meeting in Gisenyi town that brought together Umudugudu, local leaders and security personnel to evaluate current safety conditions and find long-term solutions to the environmental issues affecting elevated hills across the entire district.

He said the sector authority last year issued a warning prohibiting further people from moving to Rubavu hill.

They planned to evacuate residents to another area more favourable for farming. Some people nonetheless built new houses on the hill and plotted more gardens.

"The continued occupancy of Rubavu has created many environment problems, such as the recent muddy floods that covered Gisenyi town... Rains these days leave huge deposits of mud from Rubavu hill on the town, destroying people’s property…That is why we shall destroy newly constructed houses and evacuate the hill as soon as possible,” he said.

Evacuation will start before the end of November 2007. Where the evacuated residents will move is not yet clear.

The vice-mayor in charge of public welfare, Jacqueline Bakunduseruye, said that people’s activities on hills in the district had caused lots of environmental problems in various places, including the recent floods in Bigogwe and Kanzenze sectors that destroyed over one thousand houses, displaced thousands of residents, and killed seventeen people.

Although they understand the need for evacuation, residents on the Rubavuu hill are not happy about the plan. According to one resident, Agnes Nzamukosha, living on the hill was a blessing because it had fertile volcanic soils and provided easy access to Gisenyi town.

"Our homes were very near the town, which helped us easily buy whatever things we needed. The evacuation might lead us to a place far away, where we shall have difficulties accessing essential commodities like salt and soap,” she explained.

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