Théogene Sindayihebura - Chief of staff of the Ministry of Reinsertion and Reinstallation of the Displaced and the Repatriated in Burundi.
Credit: IRIN | | The chief of staff of the Ministry of Reinsertion and Reinstallation of the Displaced and the Repatriated in Burundi took time to explain to IRIN his perception of the issues and challenges facing refugees in his country.
Question: How many Burundian refugees are there?
Answer: About half a million Burundian Refugees are located in Tanzania. They are the ones who left recently, ten years ago in 1993 and 1994, and the ones who left in 1972, those we call "long-term refugees".
Q: What are the oldest and most recent caseloads?
A: Most of the Burundian refugees left because of the problems the country has had, because of the war and insecurity. Those who left in 1993 left because of the war that has affected our country for the past 11 years. It is the same for those who left in 1972, they left for the same reasons.
Q: What are the most difficult aspects of bringing the refugees home?
A: Our ministry was created during the war in order to reinsert and reinstall refugees. First comes the repatriation of refugees, a task that is carried out with support from UNHCR. But after repatriation, we must reinsert and reinstall these people who come back to their country.
Our main problem, which applies to the whole country, is a lack of funds to cope with the needs of the refugees. Because, in addition to refugees, Burundi also has internally displaced persons, who face the same problems and have the same needs. We lack the means to assist all of those needs.
Q: Is sexual violence a problem for IDPs and refugees? How is the ministry handling the issue of rape?
A: Violence against women is a reality. Women are raped and subjected to different kinds of violence. It is an issue the government tries to tackle. This problem is felt by everyone, a sadness shared by everyone. Because of the war, women are often raped, and it is a real problem. It's sad, but it's a reality in this country.
The government has taken this issue very seriously. There has been a sensitization effort directed at all actors, to prevent and punish this violence against women.
Q: In your opinion, how are the refugees living outside Burundi, and how does this compare to the life of the majority of the people who live in Burundi?
A: Life in refugee camps is hard. Refugees live a miserable existence, compared to the life Burundians lead. Burundi is the 173rd poorest country in the world. Most Burundians are poor, but there is a difference. If you look at human development indicators as published by UNDP, there is a huge difference.
First, Burundians who live at home have the "moral wealth" of being at home.
And I must say that 80 per cent of the population of Burundi lives from agriculture. Burundian peasants who live off the land lead a decent life, they are far better off than life in the camps. Also, Burundians are a hard-working people. If it were not for the war, the situation would be much better today. So there is no comparison between life in the camps and family life. Family life is far more pleasant.
Q: Do you think there will be a shortfall in expectations between what the refugees are expecting to come home to, and what they are actually returning to?
A: Upon coming home, the first concern for refugees and returnees is to get their possessions back. And to the Burundian, land is what is most precious. But there are also other goods and possessions.
The government has paid special attention to the land issue, and has comprehensively studied the question. The Ministry of Reinsertion and Reinstallation of the Displaced and the Repatriated, in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Town and Country Planning, listed all real estate properties and their demarcation, in order to find solutions to the problems that might arise.
Among the long-term refugees, those who left in 1972, that's 32 years ago, risk having land issues. This is why the government carried out this inventory, so that, in case it is needed, the government may give the land back to its owner. But the more recent refugees do not have to face this problem, when they return, they are still familiar with their land, they find their land and goods back. If they left a cassava field, a banana field, neighbours may have cultivated it, but the land is still there.
Q: What are the issues that are preventing the safe return of refugees?
A: I am not personally aware of what is keeping refugees from coming back, but I must specify that return and repatriation are voluntary. Only those who want to return come back. But when we visit camps to inform and sensitize refugees, the questions we are most often asked are about peace and the security situation, and about the property they left behind.
But the government has set up several institutions, among which are the Ministry of Reinsertion and Reinstallation of the Displaced and the Repatriated, and the National Commission for the Rehabilitation of Disaster Victims (CNRS in its French acronym), to find solutions to the problems refugees face.
Summing up, insecurity is the main obstacle to repatriation, but almost 90 per cent of the national territory is now secure. If there are problems recovering property, it is linked to land occupation by people who have stayed in Burundi.
The young, the children who are born abroad in refugee camps, and who just spent 32 years in asylum countries, may think "let's wait a while, see how the social, economic, and political situation evolves". So I'm not sure what is keeping the refugees from coming home en masse, but the figures we have show that those who are in Tanzania are returning.
Q: In some cases refugees have been away for so long that in terms of their culture and daily lives, they will have a culture shock.
A: It's true, some long-term refugees have grown used to the lifestyle of the country hosting them. They might have problems readjusting. For instance, children born [in Tanzania] were educated in an Anglophone country, and might have a hard time learning Kirundi and French when they return.
But there is no cultural gap with Tanzania that would prevent people from returning home, given the cross-border trade and movements.
Q: What is the most important issue facing the returnees? Is it land? And if so, what are the issues?
A: The first need, the most essential property, is land. Refugees need a material base to return to.
That is the question the government has already found answers to, by listing lands and establishing institutions to deal with land issues. There is a National Commission for the Rehabilitation of Disaster Victims, which deals with land issues.
I want to reassure everyone, the question of land is very important to people, as most refugees who left Burundi are farmers. So land is the essential matter and must be available, it is the returnees' first need.
Q: How do Burundians feel about returning refugees? Are they welcome upon their return?
A: Repatriation is a process every Burundian supports, which is to say that refugees who return are warmly greeted, for several reasons.
For the return to be as smooth as possible, the government set up greeting committees, consisting of the leader of the community, and the leader of the town. It is a pleasure for all Burundians to greet their brothers and sisters who chose exile, because they have spent lots of time together, they have a lot in common.
Despite the crisis, despite the effects of the war, they are close, they have a common culture. Some people have stayed in Burundi, but they have parents or cousins who have left. For them, it is a real joy to see their kin return.
It is also positive in that the fear subsides. People who left are anxious to know how those who stayed see the whole situation. So, to attain "moral peace", they need to return, they like seeing their neighbours return to their hill. This is the feeling they most often express.
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