![]() |
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs |
RWANDA-UGANDA: Refugees welcome to stay, minister says
KAMPALA, 20 November 2003 (IRIN) - Uganda's minister for disaster preparedness and refugees, Moses Ali, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have said they are focusing all their energies on persuading some 25,000 Rwandan refugees who have been in Uganda since 1994 that it is safe to return home, but will make appropriate contingency plans if they wish to stay.
"If we have a number who feel they cannot return, we'll have to consult with UNHCR to discuss the way forward," Ali told IRIN on Thursday.
"Right now, we are trying as hard as we can to convince them," Ali said. "We are showing them videos of the new Rwanda and we have a team of Rwandan delegates coming here to talk to them with the aim of showing them they have nothing to fear."
But a senior protection officer for UNHCR, Steven Gonah, said some of the refugees were still afraid of going home and that just 200 had registered to repatriate in December.
"One of the fears expressed is that they may not be able to recover their land and property," he said.
Theme(s): (IRIN) Refugees/IDPs
[ENDS]
The material contained on this Web site comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post any item on this site, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include attribution to the original sources. All graphics and Images on this site may not be re-produced without the express permission of the original owner. All materials copyright © UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2003
NEWSLETTER
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|