Maravi

DRC counsels donors over repatriation of refugees

DRC counsels donors over repatriation of refugees
By Mwala Kalaluka in Mpulungu
Sun 08 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT

DONORS supporting the repatriation of Congolese refugees should be mindful that the DRC has been destroyed by war, DRC’s Ministry of Home Affairs permanent secretary Xavier Kiriza has said.

And European Union (EU) head of delegation Dr Derek Fee has said the donors will not extend support to any Congolese refugee that will opt to remain in Zambia after the voluntary repatriation.

Briefing the press ahead of the repatriation of 502 Congolese refugees from Mwange and Kala camps in Northern and Luapula provinces in Mpulungu on Wednesday, Karizi said as the donors assist the refugees to return to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), they should not ignore the fact that the country was just coming out of a serious war.

“The donors who are in this room know that our country has just come out of a conflict. They also know that our country was destroyed by war, when you try to help our brothers and sisters you have to take it out of your hearts that the country they are going to has just come out of war,” said Karizi who was flanked by the deputy governor for Katanga Province Yav Tshibal. “We love our brothers and sisters who are in Zambia and our hope is this and our prayer of everyday is that they return back home where work is awaiting them for the reconstruction of the country. A country, which has been destroyed, you know it better.”

Karizi said most of the DRC towns had problems of their own and unemployment levels in that country were at their highest.

“Here also we are trying to request to the agencies that are dealing with development, those who are here and not in this meeting. For the donors that are not in this meeting we hope they can come in and help our colleagues as they re-integrate,” Karizi said as members of the diplomatic corps listened attentively. “The refugees have a type of life that they are leading here in the country of asylum. We would not like them to say the way the Israelites said to Moses that ‘you Egypt where we were eating meat and when we come back to our country we have nothing’. We would like the donors in this room to take this issue seriously.”

Karizi said the DRC was experiencing an urban tumor in most of its towns and that the returning refugees might add to the problem if the country’s reconstruction was not supported.

“Our towns have already problems in their surroundings. We have a big number of unemployed people. If some refugees return and go and settle on the surroundings of the town and settle themselves there then we risk having urban tumor that will result into criminal activities. We will have a lot of children without families and if those children won’t have families they turn into street children,” Karizi said.

However, Karizi thanked the Zambian government and the donor community for supporting the return of the Congolese refugees.

“To start is to say a certain word to our brothers and sisters in Zambia. They received our brothers and sisters with open hands, in the area of African fraternity and friendship, which unites our two countries. I request our brothers and sisters from Zambia so that they can send this message of appreciation to the President so. That one who can do with little can do a lot and that is what we want to ask the donors, to continue with the job that they have started with that excellent action,” he said. “You have assisted us through UNHCR and its agencies, local and international. We have observed that everytime from the beginning UNHCR is fully-fledged with work and our hope is high that UNHCR have to continue with the work.”

Karizi said there was need for the DRC and Zambian government to see how they could harmonise the logistics for the return packages and to also reveal the figures for the number of identified spontaneously settled Congolese refugees.

And Ministry of Home Affairs permanent secretary Ndiyoyi Mutiti said the repatriation of Congolese refugees, which hit the 15,000 mark as of May this year was a momentous occasion.

She said the occasion was an indication that the ministry and other stakeholders’ targets on the repatriation programme were on course.

UNHCR country representative James Lynch said the donors had assisted greatly in the programme, which would not have been achieved without the financial support.

Labels: DEREK FEE, DRC, EU, REFUGEES

posted by MrK @ 11:22 PM