Gov’t Orders Congolese Refugees to Occupy Transit Centre in two days or Leave

The government has issued a two days ultimatum to over 20,000 refugees occupying  border town councils to enter Nyakabande transit center or leave.

The directives follow complaints from Ugandans accusing the refugees of occupying their land.

The affected refugees have been occupying the Uganda-Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) border town councils of Bunagana, Rukundo, Mpaka, and sub-counties of Muramba and Nyarubuye.

They shifted after fighting erupted between the (M23) rebels and Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) troops in Rutshuru territory, North Kivu province.

The fighting left Bunagana border in the hands of M23 rebels after over 150 FARDC soldiers fled to Uganda.

On Tuesday, Kisoro District authorities held a closed-door meeting together with Officials from the office of the Prime Minister, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), police, Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF), Prisons, and Immigrations among others at Kisoro district council hall.

It was resolved that the refugees should be taken to the transit center between Wednesday and Thursday.The meeting also unanimously resolved that all refugees who do not go to the center the transit center by Thursday evening should return to DRC.

Esther Anyakun, the Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees first gave the refugees seven days to vacate the border in May 2022. At the time, District security authorities had also issued another ultimatum of two days in April but all efforts have failed to yield result.

The fresh ultimatum comes as the deadly Ebola disease was detected in Beni, DRC.