The Rwandan government has requested Ugandan authorities to repatriate the remaining members of ‘Kibati group’ who are still in the country’s western Isingiro district.

Thousands of refugees who are commonly referred to as the ‘Kibati group’ were repatriated last month from Kibati zone in Western Uganda.

The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Refugees (NCR), Innocent Ngango, disclosed on Wednesday that the commission has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Rwandan embassy in Uganda, to contact Kampala for the repatriation of the group, mostly composed of women and children.

"We have already expressed our concerns to enable those that remained in Kibati to come and join their happily settled relatives here,” Ngango said, without giving the actual number of refugees remaining behind.

Foreign Minister Dr Charles Murigande said he was yet to receive the letter but added that there was indeed need to repatriate those remaining behind.

"The principle is that they should come back because there’s no reason as to why they should remain there,” he said on Wednesday.

Ngango added that men who have been taking lessons on reconciliation, justice and development at Mutobo Solidarity Camp have now been re-settled in their respective homes. 

Majority of Kibati returnees left Rwanda after the 1994 Genocide to Tanzania where authorities there evicted them in 2003 and they crossed to Uganda.

Kampala denied them asylum status following a tripartite arrangement between Uganda, Rwanda and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, which resulted in repatriation of about 3,000 of them in October.

Rwanda and Uganda have since applauded the repatriation exercise, describing it as a positive step.

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