Namibian, Rwandan officials to meet on repatriation

OFFICIALS from Rwanda, Namibia and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), are due to meet on Tuesday to discuss the voluntary repatriation of Rwandan refugees in Namibia.

The UNHCR in Windhoek said the tripartite repatriation commission was also scheduled to meet Rwandan refugees at Osire on Wednesday. UNHCR Assistant Field Officer, Esegiel Xamseb, said Rwandan refugees in Namibia not residing at Osire were also invited to the meeting.He said the aim was to explain repatriation procedures and brief the refugees on the conditions back home.A number of Rwandans have indicated reluctance to return home, claiming it was unsafe.They have also expressed fears that they would be persecuted by the Kigali government.The tripartite repatriation commission was set up last year to pave the way for the repatriation of about 700 Rwandans at the Osire Refugee Camp.Rwandan refugees in Namibia want the repatriation stopped until the United Nations has established that it is safe for everyone to return.They claim that since the talks of possible repatriation started in September, about 600 Rwandan refugees had left the Osire camp and fled Namibia to Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique.The tripartite agreement mandated Namibia to ensure that the refugees were well informed about the security situation in Rwanda to enable them to decide whether or not to repatriate.For its part, the government of Rwanda would ensure that the refugees returned home in safety and dignity, and that it would sensitise the local populations of the areas in which the returnees would settle.The UNHCR was expected to facilitate the return by providing support for travel as well as initial settlement.In addition, the UN agency promised protection to refugees in Namibia who might not wish to return, in accordance with international conventions on refugees and the relevant Namibian immigration laws.UNHCR Assistant Field Officer, Esegiel Xamseb, said Rwandan refugees in Namibia not residing at Osire were also invited to the meeting.He said the aim was to explain repatriation procedures and brief the refugees on the conditions back home.A number of Rwandans have indicated reluctance to return home, claiming it was unsafe.They have also expressed fears that they would be persecuted by the Kigali government.The tripartite repatriation commission was set up last year to pave the way for the repatriation of about 700 Rwandans at the Osire Refugee Camp.Rwandan refugees in Namibia want the repatriation stopped until the United Nations has established that it is safe for everyone to return.They claim that since the talks of possible repatriation started in September, about 600 Rwandan refugees had left the Osire camp and fled Namibia to Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique.The tripartite agreement mandated Namibia to ensure that the refugees were well informed about the security situation in Rwanda to enable them to decide whether or not to repatriate.For its part, the government of Rwanda would ensure that the refugees returned home in safety and dignity, and that it would sensitise the local populations of the areas in which the returnees would settle.The UNHCR was expected to facilitate the return by providing support for travel as well as initial settlement.In addition, the UN agency promised protection to refugees in Namibia who might not wish to return, in accordance with international conventions on refugees and the relevant Namibian immigration laws.