RETURNING REFUGEE LEADERS SHOULD INSPIRE CONFIDENCE IN OTHERS

The leader of the Rwandan refugee community in Congo Brazzaville, Sarafina Mukantabana, on Friday returned to the country after seventeen years in exile. Earlier in the week, former dissident Gerald Ntashamaje also returned to the country, from exile in Belgium where he had lived for a decade. The two professionals, a lawyer and a teacher have, by all accounts, been influential in shaping opinion among refugee communities given their standing in society. As such, they can now serve as reference persons for other refugees and can help them form an informed opinion that will help them make the decision to return home. As expected, the returnees have been pleasantly surprised by the warm reception and the important strides Rwandans have made in all areas. They all express sincere happiness for being back home. Refugee communities in many instances have been misinformed about conditions at home, largely by the forces that planned and organised the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, as well as revisionists who have worked to distort facts about the recent history of the country. So, when some of their leaders make the decision to return, it should always send an important message to the rest. Fortunately for Rwandans the world over, unlike before, they have a government that is actively encouraging them to return and contribute to the socio-economic transformation of the country. Ends