We condemn the attacks against IDPs and Refugees in Baraka Camp in Mugunga around Goma
We strongly condemn attacks Internally Displaced Persons and Refugee Camps around Goma in order to force refugees to repatriation towards Rwanda through UNHCR/CNR Programme in order to neutralize Rwandan Armed Group of FDLR.
A group of Refugee and IDPs Choir members who represented others in Amani Festival in Goma on that very Sunday when they Camp was attacked in the evening.
Again on Sunday November 17th, 2024 at night from 7pm up to 2am on Monday 18th November 2024 according to interviews broadcasted by Bora FM in Goma and eye witnesses we interacted with, armed group of people attacked Internally Displaced Persons and Refugee Camp of Baraka located in Mugunga around Goma in North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Baraka IDP Camp has 22 Police Officers but on that very evening they were not seen and no knows where they were as up to now the local authorities are extremely silent, the Camp hosts more than 16,000 IDPs among them refugees and asylum seekers from Rwanda and Burundi. According to Baraka Camp President, the armed group came with guns and Pangas, and were speaking Lingala Language and they operated in the entire camp where they visited 120 IDP Shelters, their target was generally focused on those operating small businesses, they took whatever they could find in terms of things, food and money, also raped some women and injured others.
Three more other IDPs hosting Hutu Communities among them Hutu Rwandan refugees were recently attacked by Congolese Army, the only difference is that at least the Sunday attack did not cost innocent lives.
Baraka IDP Camp is almost in the middle of so many other IDP Camps, it cannot be attacked without dealing with authorities, and in the process IDP Camps which host Rwandan refugees around Goma have been victims of armed people including DRC security services, we believe the intention is to force them to accept the repatriation option which is provided by UNHCR/CNR to those who survive.
Once again we come to you to share with you the horrible situations faced by refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo in general and in North Kivu around Goma in particular. The majority of refugees in North Kivu are generally from Rwanda and Burundi, some came in 1994 during the genocide while others came after up to now many are still coming, as they ran away from Rwanda and Burundi. In Goma for example 7/10 Rwandan refugees who visit our offices have been victims of forced repatriation from UNHCR and the DRC Government in the past in order to please Rwanda, in Uganda also 9/10 Rwandan refugees holding a refugee status in Uganda, were in DRC and were subjected to forced repatriation back to Rwanda where they did not stay for long, they opted to leave.
In North Kivu a high number of Rwandan refugees lived in the following territories which are now under the control of Rwandan Army: Rutshuru, Nyiragongo, Lubero Masisi and Walikale, in most cases the current M23 rebels backed by Rwanda are taking areas which are strongly believed to be Rwandan refugees settings in all these territories, this reality pushed all Rwandan refugees into various camps mainly around Goma living alongside other Congolese victims and are all called Internally Displaced Persons despite the fact that we all know that some are refugees and others are IDPs.
We believe that 60% of the entire population in all IDP Camps in North Kivu should be Rwandan refugees who are looking for protection and safety against their own country. Rwanda claims that these refugees are part on FDLR which is armed against Rwanda and which Rwanda believes is a threat, however as it has been always, this perceived armed group has never posed a resistance against Rwandan Army deployed in DRC since 1996 up to now. All the Rwandan military operations in Eastern DRC do always focus on poor refugees who are massacred, others are taken to Rwanda through UNHCR/CNR, others forced to live in Camps and others are forced to move towards Uganda where they are registered as Congolese Citizens.
Again the same thing happens since 1996 up to day when these refugees are in camps, UNHCR comes in and offers them opportunity for repatriation claiming that Rwanda is much better than DRC, this has been done by UNHCR in partnership with CNR (DRC Government), and again these forced repatriation operations have started and UNHCR is spearheading them. Yet we all know including UNHCR and the United Nations Mission in DRC also knows that most of those who have been repatriated to Rwanda end up coming back to DRC or move towards Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Burundi among others.
We have alerted and we continue doing so, that with peace agreement between DRC and Rwanda which allows Rwandan Intelligence Services to operate in North Kivu, it may be a challenge to guarantee the security and the protection of refugees currently. In Luanda/ Angola DRC and Rwanda agreed to neutralize FDLR fighters but there was no common understanding about who FDLR are exactly, in the process all efforts are geared towards vulnerable Rwandan refugees at the satisfaction of Rwandan Government.
We should therefore advocate to the Democratic Republic of Congo Government to pull out from these peace negotiations. We all knew that Rwanda President was not interested in FDLR but in refugees that is what he is doing now.
Let us engage DRC Government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to ensure the protection of refugees in DRC,
Let us also engage the current Government of Rwanda to change her external policy towards refugees in other countries, a friendly policy would be the best for Rwanda and will build more trust between the government and refugees,
Thanks
Global Refugee Leaders Forum
