EDITORIAL: Burundi refugees: EALA should stamp its foot not do goodwill

Members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), on Tuesday, toured Mahama Refugee Camp in Kirehe District, a temporary home to more than 23,000 Burundian refugees, in what they said was a goodwill mission to appraise the humanitarian situation on the ground and advise the House on how to proceed with finding a lasting solution to the political impasse in Burundi. Such a mission is undoubtedly a genuine gesture. It’s true the MPs need to experience firsthand the situation on the ground in refugee camps in order to make a more compelling case for them. However, notwithstanding the sentiments, the tour still falls short of the utmost wishes of these refugees. The MPs are visiting in groups, with some headed for Tanzania. This means some big chunk of money is being spent by the regional parliament to facilitate the legislators to go shed a few tears in the name of taking stock of the situation on the ground. This is an extension of the rhetoric Burundian refugees have heard all this while. In the camp, they need relief and sanitation. The money spent by EALA to facilitate the MPs’ tours could have gone a long way in connecting clean water. It is common sense that no refugee camp offers what a peaceful home does. You might give these refugees sumptuous meals, but you cannot give them appetite given what their minds are going through. EALA should be camping out in Burundi, putting pressure on the political players in Bujumbura, even if through sanctions. The refugees in Rwanda, DR Congo and Tanzania would have managed just a smile hearing that EALA had slapped sanctions, however pepper tiger, on Burundi. Political refugees are a thing of the past and political players should ensure exactly that. One only imagines how fulfilling it would have been for EALA to pitch camp in Bujumbura to take the lead in the dialoguing and demanding an end to the political impasse. It might not be written down as part of its mandate but EALA can evolve with situations. Being a regional parliament, EALA should be able to transcend territorial sovereignty. If that is not the case, then the mandate of EALA needs revisiting. Let’s work toward returning the refugees to transform Burundi.

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EDITORIAL: Burundi refugees: EALA should stamp its foot not do goodwill