Congolese grouped in the M’mbondo Africa Group asks the Congolese Government to relocate the refugee camp of Lusenda to more than 150 km inside the borders between Burundi and the DRC to avoid infiltration of armed groups coming from Burundi.
Burundian refugee camp of Lusenda, in the DRC
On behalf of the population of Fizi Territory, the M’mbondo Africa Group wrote a letter to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior and Security of the Democratic Republic of Congo asking him to relocate the Burundian refugee camp from Fizi territory. They said that setting up Burundi refugee camps along the Lake Tanganyika shores causes insecurity due to the infiltration of armed groups from Burundi.
Isambetcho Kiza, the secretary-general of the M’mbondo Africa Group said, in an interview with TV5 Monde on 14 May 2017, UNHCR’s Head of external relations in the Lusenda camp, Andreas Kirchhof said several cases of armed groups and banditry have been recorded in the camp. “Two refugees living in the Lusenda camp testified and deplored the infiltration of militia close to the Burundi government entered the camp with guns,” Kiza said.
These recurrent infiltrations of militia close to the Burundian government in Lusenda camp prove that these refugees are not secured to a few kilometers from their country of origin, according to Kiza.
The Lusenda camp is located at less than 5 km from Lake Tanganyika, considered as the natural border between Burundi and the DRC. The camp has been sheltering over 20,000 Burundian refugees for two years.
Ensure refugees security against persecution from their country
The Secretary General of the M’mbondo Group recommends the relocation of Lusenda refugees’ camp to more than 150 km within the borders between Burundi and the DRC, to ensure the safety of refugees against any possible persecution from their country of origin. Kiza demands to reject any initiative to set up additional camps in the same territory of Fizi, which is not far from the borders of Burundi.
Emmanuel, the representative of Burundian refugees in Lusenda camp, said the Burundian refugees had often requested that the camp be relocated for security reasons. “The camp authorities have promised to ensure our safety. However, we are gripped by fear because we live very close to the country we fled, “he said.
Emmanuel said Burundian refugees fear that Congolese living in the vicinity of Lusenda camp may be accomplice to the youth of the ruling party. “Our neighbors Congolese told us that they are close to former rebels of the CNDD-FDD movement, the current members of the youth wing of Burundian presidential party,” said Emmanuel.
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