Peace and refugees: Rwanda’s two contradicting realities

Today, Rwanda joins the rest of the World to mark the world refugee day. This event remains an occasion to honor the courage and determination of millions of refugees including men, women and children who have been forced to flee the comfort of their countries for fear of persecution and violence. In the Rwandan context, this day has a special meaning as an occasion to ponder the question of refugees, which is deeply engrained into Rwandan history. Two contradicting realities emerge in the Rwandan context as we observe the World Refugee Day: (1) Rwanda as a peaceful country where thousands of refugees from neighbouring countries have sought safe haven and (2) Rwanda remaining among the countries that still count big numbers of their population in exile. That Rwanda remains among the safest and peaceful countries in Africa and in the world is not assumption. Numerous reports and globally respected ranking institutions have ascertained that as fact. The recent Gallup research ranked Rwanda the best place to live in Africa and the fifteenth country globally. Without even referring to reports and surveys, ourselves as Rwandan citizens and foreigners living here are eye-witnesses and first-hand beneficiaries of the peace, security and safety that reigns in our beautiful nation. As stated above however, despite such an enviable situation admired at the global sphere, Rwanda remains among countries with a big number of its nationals as refugees in the world. The most current UNHCR Global Trend Report (midi-year trend 2014) placed Rwanda as the seventeenth country to have big number of refugees in the world with 82,635 refugees hosted in different asylum countries. This number solely represents registered refugees by UNHCR, which excludes the hundreds of thousands of unregistered Rwandans in different countries and those still wandering in bushes and informally resettled in remote areas especially in the DRC and elsewhere in Africa. While other countries like Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, DRC, Central African Republic, Mali, Palestine and others, that are in this category of nations with big refugee populations, remain bedrock for instabilities, Rwanda’s case is the direct opposite. Normally, having big number of refugees portrays instability in the country of origin. However, in the context of Rwanda, factual indicators strongly contradict that theory, and I will only highlight two main ones; Rwanda has zero internally displaced persons while over 73,000 foreign refugees have enjoyed safe haven in Rwanda some spanning for about twenty years. At the moment, thousands of Burundians continue to cross into the country to seek asylum in Rwanda as political uncertainty continues give way to violence. Nevertheless, the invocation of the Cessation Clause by the UNHCR on December 30, 2011, and its coming into effect on June 30, 2013 sealed other facts stressing that all circumstances that led to massive exile of Rwandans have ceased. However the question remains one: How is Rwanda among top countries with big number of their population in exile in spite of its current peaceful state? The answer to that dilemma simply boils down to the fact that Rwanda is still reaping the bad fruits of its horrific history. The crisis of Rwanda refugees started long ago in the 50s and for over thirty years since then, there was not political will to put an end on it, instead, the discriminatory ideology that shaped consecutive regimes in the aftermath of the independence, led to massive exile of Rwandans in different scenarios. The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi added fuel to the flames. While in 1994, hundreds of thousands returned to the country after three decades in exile, another section of Rwandans left the country in the aftermath of the Genocide. Among these, most have since returned but the total closure of this chapter remains an uphill task and requires coordinated efforts and will of both Rwandan themselves and international community. A big step towards finding durable solutions to the problem of Rwandan refugees has been made. Since the liberation, the Government has invested necessary efforts into eradicating all circumstances that forced millions of Rwandans to exile for decades. Since 1994 to date, about 3.5 million Rwandan refugees have returned and have been reintegrated in communities. However others are still reluctant to return due to influence of hardliners who use them as human shields and keep them in hostage. My single intention through this article is to revive the beauty and flavor of Rwanda in the spirits of fellow Rwandans who continue to suffer in the misery of refuge life with burning dreams and reminiscence of returning home one day. Today, the doors of Rwanda are widely open to receive all Rwandan refugees who need to voluntarily return. I repeat voluntarily, since repatriation is not forceful. Nevertheless, Rwanda doesn’t intend to destabilize anyone, as, some of refugees due to long period of stay, have established socio-economic ties with host communities and staying there might be more preferable for them. All in all, one assertion is uncontradictable and refugees understand better “There is no dignity in being a refugee, and no better place than home!” The writer is the Communication Specialist Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs.

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Peace and refugees: Rwanda’s two contradicting realities