Rwanda will continue to protect Burundian refugees, says top official

Burundian refugees in Rwanda should not worry about their safety and security, the government will continue to protect them, says a senior official of Rwanda's ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee affairs.

Seraphine Mukantabana, Minister of Disaster Management and Refugee affairs told reporters on Monday that Burundian refugees were safe on the Rwandan soil, and dismissed reports of refugee crackdown.

She made this remark during the ceremony to mark the World refugee Day in the Rwanda's capital Kigali that was attended by UN refugee agency and Rwanda government officials.

"Rwanda respects international obligations of accommodating refugees and ensuring their safety until peace is restored to allow repatriation to their home countries," she said.

Last month Burundian officials told news agencies that over 1,500 Burundians who have been seeking refuge in Rwanda were expelled for "political reasons" but Rwanda denied accusations saying that those who were expelled were living in the country illegally.

"Reports and accusations will keep coming, but we will have to deal with it. People will continue 'politicizing' the issue without tangible evidence," Mukantabana noted.

She stated that the recent crackdown on illegal immigrants did not target Burundians but all foreigners.

"We shall continue supporting the government of Rwanda to ensure the security and safety of the refugees in the country," Saber Azam, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)country representative to Rwanda said.

Presently, Rwanda hosts about 75,000 refugees from Burundi residing in seven refugee camps across the country.

Rwanda Foreign Minister Louis Mushikiwabo last month told members of parliament that the Burundian refugee issue was political in nature rather than being humanitarian.

The small central African country is home to 160,000 refugees mainly from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.

UNHCR indicates there are over 63 million people worldwide who are forced to flee their homes due to war or human rights abuses.

World Refugee Day which falls on June 20 each year is dedicated to raise awareness of the plight of refugees across the globe. Endit