Burundi says it will 'firmly' relocate Tutsi refugees



BUJUMBURA - Burundi on Friday said it would act "firmly" in relocating Congolese Tutsi refugees to a camp in the east of the country after the Democratic Republic of Congo closed its borders to them.
The 2,300 refugees have already confronted security forces in their attempts to move them to a new location in Bwagiriza in the east of Burundi.



Burundi says it will 'firmly' relocate Tutsi refugees
Burundi's Security Minister Alain Guillaume Bunyoni said Bujumbara was not prepared "to let people take an equally irresponsible decision to go back to a country where their government will not welcome them."
DR Congo on Thursday shut a checkpoint at Kavimvira, which borders Burundi, in a bid to prevent the Tutsi refugees from returning to the country.
Kinshasa said the closure of the border was only "temporary" so officials could be better prepared for their eventual return.
But until that time, Bunyoni insisted they would be moved on.
"By law, we will ensure the relocation of these refugees and we will do so firmly," he told reporters.
With their current camp in Mwaro due to be closed, the Tutsis will be resettled in Bwagiriza, some 180 kilometres (120 miles) to the east of Bujumbara.
Many Congolese Tutsis fled from the Sud-Kivu province of DR Congo in 2004 to escape persecution from Hutu rebels operating there.
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Saturday, October 10th 2009
AFP
           


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