Burundian refugees return home from Rwanda, UN agency reports

A site in southern Rwanda which at its peak hosted 2,000 Burundians, who fled their country over the past year amid fears of election violence, has closed after its residents either returned home or were transferred to another camp, the United Nations refugee agency reported today.

The last Burundians left the Gikonko transit site in Mamba district of Butare province on Wednesday. More than 1,200 repatriated to Burundi with assistance from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) while 740 were transferred to Nyamure camp just to the north.

Only four refugees remain at the Gikonko site, where they are receiving medical treatment. They will be relocated to Nyamure camp upon their discharge from hospital. All food, firewood and plastic sheeting at the transit site will be moved to the camp, and the site will be dismantled shortly.

The site's facilities were run by the Rwandan Ministry for Local Administration with UNHCR support. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) provided food while the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) ran a health and nutrition centre and supported operations in the areas of water and sanitation.

Since the start of voluntary repatriation on June 30 this year, more than 3,100 Burundians overall have returned home from Rwanda. They travelled from Gikongoro, Kigeme and Nyamure camps to Songore transit centre in northern Burundi, where they received three months of WFP rations, and basic supplies like plastic sheeting, buckets, pots, hoes and soap.

UNHCR runs a monitoring programme in Burundi to ensure the well-being and integration of the returnees. It works with the Burundian Government and other partners to support reintegration programmes that focus on rehabilitating schools and health centres, as well as income-generating activities.

An estimated 4,000 Burundian refugees remain in Rwanda.