Burundi reiterates call for repatriation of refugees: minister

Burundi reiterated on Monday the government's call for the repatriation of Burundian refugees who fled the country's 2015 crisis.

"The campaign of sensitizing Burundian citizens living in refugee camps in neighboring countries has continued during the past three months and results are satisfactory," said Home Affairs and Civic Education Minister Pascal Barandagiye while presenting the three-month activity report.

"We are convincing them to return home and come to build their nation," said the minister.

According to him, many among those refugees were just "scared or fled rumors."

"We visited to Nakivale camp hosting Burundian refugees in Uganda and we also went to Tanzania to meet authorities in order to plan visits in refugee camps located in Tanzania," he said.

He added that if financial means are enough, visits to other countries hosting Burundian refugees will be made.

Barandagiye indicated that belongings of refugees were kept safely in their home villages.

Burundi has suffered turmoil since April 2015 when President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run his controversial third term in violation of the national constitution and the 2000 Arusha Agreement that ended a decade-long civil war.

Over 500 people in Burundi are reported to have been killed during the crisis.

Updated figures from the UN Refugee Agency released on April 10 reveal that over 400,000 people fled to neighboring countries, mostly Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda since the outbreak of the crisis. Endit