Our reactions to UNHCR Press Conference in Goma during Geneva visit in the DRCongo
Reactions to UNHCR Press Conference with the media about the UNHCR Representative in charge of Protection visit in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
UNHCR Delegation in Goma, the Democratic Republic of Congo during the Press Conference
On Tuesday October 1st, 2024 the Coordinator of COJESKI Nord-Kivu received Journalists from different local media in Goma who came to get our views about the visit of UNHCR Commissioner in-charge of Protection about the situation of refugees in the region. Journalists were frustrated to observe that the UNHCR Officer mission did not focus on refugees rather it was about IDPs and unfortunately the UNHCR officer did not respond to questions about refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo and refugees in neighboring countries.
Interview with UNHCR Delegation in Goma
Last week Mme Ruvendrini Menikdiwela UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner in-charge of Protection, Mme Chansa Ruth Kapaya UNHCR Director for Southern Africa, and Mme Angele Dikongue Antagana UNHCR Representative in DRC engaged with the media in Goma during their visit. However they left the media not satisfied about their work on refugee issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The 45 minutes focuses on various questions
One on one with a Journalist from Pasha News Agency in DRC
R/Why do you think UNHCR omitted refugees in her mission in DRC?
A/ It is important to remind that the primary work of UNHCR is the well-being of refugees but not IDPs, it is of the recent that the United Nations included IDPs as the second focus of UNHCR. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, UNHCR primary focus is on IDPs this is because no one holds her accountable, our parliament is silent, the Government is also disconnected from this reality, and the Civil Society remains behind. It is also important to remind you that UNHCR is part of the problem in DRC but not a solution as we could imagine, the majority of the fighters in M23 are refugees in Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya and were recruited in camps on the eyes of UNHCR in these countries and UNHCR kept silence but also at the same Congolese refugees in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya who denounced these military recruitment were threatened and UNHCR could not protect them. But if we should go very far to understand UNHCR involvement, let us remind that in 1994 when millions of Rwandan refugees came, UNHCR imposed itself that those who have guns should not be disarmed at the border, UNHCR imposed that refugees should remain near the borders with Rwanda, and at the same time UNHCR imposed that they are not granted a refugee status in DRC by then Zaire. And lastly you may need to remember that key political leaders in Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi were all refugees and recruited refugees in camps for military operations and UNHCR kept silence, Paul Kagame the President of Rwanda was a refugee in Uganda, Yoweri Museveni was a refugee in Tanzania and Ndayishimiye was also a refugee in Tanzania where they all recruited refugees. So refugees in this region have been used in military activities and UNHCR has been part of the game.
R/The recruitment of refugees in Uganda, why should UNHCR ignore this?
One on one with Journalists in Goma
A/ I’m not a UNHCR spokesperson but what I know it that I was among people who denounced refugee recruitment in Uganda but I was forced to leave Uganda and UNHCR could not protect me. As you also know those who call themselves Congolese refugees in Rwanda are daily recruited in order to join M23 and UNHCR is there, allegations indicate that some were repatriated in areas occupied by M23 and UNHCR kept silence. However on a positive note, this country is ours, it does not belong to UNHCR, we can do better for this country and this our struggle now. UNHCR is composed of foreigners who also need our protection and the issues of refugees should have clear answers internally. We are currently working on a new refugee policy in DRC which we believe will solve the problems at least 60%, and this will help to put in place structures and clear approaches towards refugees.
R/ Who are these refugees based in Rwanda who took guns in order to return?
A/ As you know, there are serious questions about the identity of those in Rwanda, however basing on where they came from in DRC, we can observe that they were Rwandan refugees in DRC who again went back to Rwanda to seek refugee claiming they are Congolese, and now they are not in position to come back and show where they lived in DRC. Still we have internal mechanism to solve this and it will be done one day when there is the authority of the state in the areas which are occupied now.
R/Rwandan refugees in DRC are accused of being FDLR, what do you know about this?
A/ It is unfortunate that since 1994 up today, we do not have a clear number of Rwandan refugees in DRC, they have no camps and have no documents and cannot enjoy the international protection, in this situation it may a challenge to know who is who. It may be also difficult to clearly understand who is FDLR because the narrative of Rwanda is totally different from the narrative of FDLR in DRC. However we observe that those who are presented as FDLR are mere simple civilians who should be protected and who are yearning for protection which we owe them. We must stop now the blame games and come to the basics of offering services to refugees as we should have done long ago.
R/ What is the impact of this UNHCR visit to DRC? Positive or negative?
A/ I have no idea because I did not participate in the planning meetings in order to understand the objectives and unfortunately the UNHCR delegation did not also communicate about the objectives of their visits, but basing on what we seeing, the delegation has focused on Internally Displaced Persons and nothing is being said about refugees, there is no formal and official meeting focusing on refugee issues. This is part of UNHCR strategy in the region currently to ignore refugees and focus on IDPs with the intention to let the conflict continue and the war to continue.
This is not the first time UNHCR top officials have come to visit DRC in the last four years, actually the head of UNHCR protection team comes here each year I think, but her presence does not change anything neither in the lives of IDPs nor in the lives of refugees, remember that even the UNHCR Commissioner came here and promised things which have never been done, and after he went there is nothing that has changed. These trips are just money eating machinery. While UNHCR is advocating for the protection of IDPs and the new law about IDPs we are calling upon the end of war so that IDPs can go back to their original homes and at the same we do not need a law for that because we cannot accept that people are kept in camps.
It is unfortunately that her presence did not highlight issues affecting refugees in DRC,
