WESTERN PROVINCE

RUSIZI — Scores of Rwandans repatriated from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been found to be crossing back as refugees in order to benefit from the humanitarian assistance from the United Nations (UN) agency for refugees.

Authorities at Nyagatare refugee transit camp in Gihundwe sector, Rusizi district this week discovered a group of 73 people claiming to have left the country in 1994.

The group is part of over 100 Rwandans who were repatriated by United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) from Nyabibwe refugee camp in North Kivu Province of the DRC, on Monday. They entered the country through Rusizi 1 border in Kamembe sector.

Alfred Safi Uwitonze, the camp’s acting coordinator told The New Times that the group claimed to have left Rwanda in 1994. However, after screening they were found to have been earlier repatriated back to Rwanda but later crossed back to DRC in order to benefit from financial and material aid given to refugees by UNHCR.

"After receiving them, asking them some questions and screening we found out that only 43 of 123 people that were repatriated from DR Congo by UNHCR this week, were genuine returnees who had left Rwanda during the 1994 Genocide," Uwitonze said.

"The remaining 73 had been repatriated earlier this year but went back to DRC after being taken to their former residential places countrywide. According to my observation and analysis I think they did this due to poverty being aware that UNHCR would give them items as usual such as plastic tents, blankets, saucepans and foodstuffs."

Uwitonze explained that they first received 50 people on Thursday last week but only three of them were genuine returnees. The remaining 47 had been repatriated earlier last month but went back. She added that earlier on Tuesday another batch of 73 people arrived in Rwanda also from DRC, but 30 of them had been repatriated earlier.

He said for the last two years such cases have been common at the camp. But the camp leaders would work with security authorities in the area to curb.

The culprits are residents of former Gisenyi, Ruhengeri, Cyangugu, Kibuye and Kigali-Ngali currently located in Eastern Province. Refugee officials said the imposters would be chased away but would not be given transport to their places of residence as a punitive measure. The officials observed that this in a way would discourage the dubious practice.

Jean Claude Nsengiyumva, one of the returnees told The New Times that he was first repatriated from DRC last month and transported to his home district of Musanze in the Northern Province. However, he went back to DR Congo via Goma border and settled in Nyabibwe refugee camp in North Kivu. He claimed that his action was driven by need for food and financial assistance from UNHCR. Nsengiyumva added that he was planning to sell the items and get money to start a small business to support his family.

"I was repatriated with my fellow refugees from DR Congo via Rusizi 1 border last month but when I reached in my former place of residence in Ruhengeri I felt so isolated due to poverty. So I decided to go back to Congo to see if I could get donations such as food items and money from UNHCR which I would use to start up a small business in order to support my family," he said. He said some of his fellow refugees had told him that they got money through the same tricks.

Nyagatare transit camp has 2,771 refugees largely Banyamurenge.

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