99pc of refugees in Rwanda are Congolese

AT least 99 per cent of all refugees in Rwanda are from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to latest statistics jointly released by various institutions.The figures that were released yesterday by the government and UN agencies put the total number of refugees living in the country at 57,641 harboured in several camps around the country. 57, 216 are from DRC and 55.7 per cent are womenThe statistics were confirmed by Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, the World Food Programme, UNHCR and the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness and Refugee affairs.For the last 17 years officials say there have not been clear figures indicating the number of refugees the country is hosting and it has been affecting in terms of facilitating them.Addressing the media yesterday, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness and Refugee Affairs, Antoine Ruvebana, observed that ascertaining the exact number of refugees was important for the government.“We now know the figures, their photos and the countries of origin, this is a big achievement for the country, it will help us plan accordingly,” he said.He explained starting from today, new refugees would be registered and announced at the end of the year, adding that the released figures were for refugees who came since 1997 up to yesterday.He, however, clarified that since two weeks ago no more refugees have crossed the border from Congo.The results were announced after the completion of 2011/2012 registration and verification exercise which was carried out in all refugee locations in the country.Richard Ndawula, the UNHCR field officer in Kigali, pointed out that it was difficult to provide assistance to the unknown number of refugees adding the new statistics will immensely facilitate the UN agency.“The release of the statistics now means a clear understanding of the refugees that we shall be responsible for...it was hard for us to ascertain the exact number that needed assistance,” he told The New Times.The refugees are in various areas, including Gihembe camp in Gicumbi district, Kiziba in Karongi district, Nyabiheke in Gatsibo and Kigeme camp in Nyamagabe district.Others are in Kigali City and Nkamira Transit Centre in the Western Province.Other refugees were identified as having come from Angola, Burundi, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda.

National

99pc of refugees in Rwanda are Congolese