Fear stalks Zairean camps
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.(Photograph omitted)
GOMA - Flouting international calls for repatriation, loyalists to the former Rwanda government continue their campaign to discourage the estimated 1.2 million Rwandans in eastern Zaire from returning home, a UN official said today, writes Craig Nelson.
As a result, a majority of Rwandans who fled across the frontier more than two weeks ago do not yet believe it is safe to return home, said Ray Wilkinson, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR) which heads the relief effort.
The dissemination of what Mr Wilkinson terms 'lies, horror stories' is carried out by followers of the former Hutu- dominated regime in five vast refugee camps. They control the distribution of food and threaten refugees with torture if they return home.
The opposition campaign to undermine the new Kigali government also includes positive inducements. Two days ago, a UN official saw two luxury cars with Rwandan licence plates in one refugee camp. Spouting from the car windows into the hands of hungry, penniless refugees were showers of crisp Rwandan francs.
The UN has asked Zairean authorities to move into the camps. But the security forces here are viewed as ineffectual, demonstrating adroitness only in relieving Rwandan refugees of their few possessions as they crossed into Zaire two weeks ago. The Zairean government was closely allied with the ousted Hutu-dominated regime and is unlikely to rein in its exiled functionaries.
Mr Wilkinson said the 20 permanent UN personnel assigned to oversee the refugee camps have been directed to tell the hundreds of thousands of Rwandans there that it is safe for them to return home.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments