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REFUGEE NEWS BRIEFINGS
TANZANIA: REPATRIATION AND CLOSURE OF REFUGEE CAMPS
Over the last six years, more than 400,000 refugees from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have returned home. However despite an agreement between the Congolese and Tanzanian governments, there has been a significant reduction in the number of refugees returning to South Kivu in eastern Congo.
Since 2005, more than 60,000 Congolese have returned home. Due to the fact that most Congolese refugees residing in the western Tanzania district of Kigoma are from South Kivu, the ongoing violence in neighbouring North Kivu was not perceived as an obstacle. Nevertheless, more than 80,000 refugees continue to live in Lugufu and Nyaragusu camps in nearby Kigoma.
On 15 November, Boniface Mpagape from JRS Radio Kwizera in Tanzania, told Dispatches that the number of refugees returning home has dropped to a low of 200 per week. Many refugees fear the conflict could spread southwards, he added.
However, elsewhere in western Tanzania, refugees from Burundi continue to return home. As refugees return, camps are merged.
According to the Tanzanian government Nduta camp in the western district of Kibondo is due to close at the end of November. This is the third time the authorities have tried to close the camp, host to nearly 10,000 Burundian refugees, after attempts in June and September failed due for logistic reasons. Four of the five camps in the Kibondo area have been closed. The remaining camp will now be used mainly as a transit camp for returning refugees.
Other camps in the region have either been closed or are in the process of closing. In the nearby district of Kasula, one of the camps was closed in 2006 after the Burundian refugee population returned home. Of the remaining two camps, Mutabila camp still hosts a population of 38,000 Burundians but convoys of about 400 to 500 refugees return every week.
For decades, Tanzania has hosted one of the world's largest refugee populations, mostly coming from neighbouring countries Burundi, Rwanda and DRC.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: EU PRESSED TO PROVIDE RAPID REACTION FORCE
Former presidents of Czech Republic, Ireland and South Africa have urged the EU to send a rapid reaction force to eastern Congo immediately, echoing a call made by humanitarian agencies Oxfam and Human Rights Watch.
On 26 November, the Belgian government was the first to publicly state it could contribute to such a force.
While the UN Security council has authorised an additional 3,000 peacekeeping troops, it is likely to take at least three months to deploy them. The UN force in Congo (MONUC), at 17,000-strong the largest peacekeeping mission in the world, has continuously stated it cannot provide total security in North Kivu, stretched as it already is over a country the size of Western Europe, where armed groups abound.
Even through rebel leader Laurent Nkunda has pledged to respect a ceasefire, hundreds of Congolese civilians fled east into Uganda on 26 November to escape rebel operations against their traditional militia groups in the province.
Having supported the move to bolster MONUC numbers, JRS stressed the importance of providing protection to the civilian population and ensuring the safe arrival of food and other essential items, particularly to those living outside urban areas and camps. According to a JRS statement on 20 November, as soon the security situation permits education should be prioritised. Otherwise, it fears that a whole generation of children will be denied an education, an essential factor in the successful reconstruction of the war-torn region.
For further information see http://www.jrs.net/alerts and http://www.jrs.net/statement
UPDATES ON JRS PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: JRS OPENS NEW PROGRAMMES
"More than one million people in the Central African Republic (CAR) are living in chronic poverty and insecurity. Responding to their urgent needs reminds us why JRS exists", Regional Finance Officer, Albert Manyuchi, told Dispatches on 28 November following a needs assessment visit to the country's northeastern Haute-Kotto Province.
Last month, JRS opened its national office in Bangui, the capital, to coordinate projects in the northern provinces of Ouham, Haute-Kotto and Vakaga.
The war between government and rebel groups and in northern regions which escalated in 1996 has internally displaced nearly 200,000 Central Africans and driven more than 100,000 more into neighbouring Chad, Sudan, and Cameroon. Though fighting abated after the signing of an April 2007 peace accord between the government and the opposition group, Union of Democratic Forces for Unification, insecurity in northern zones continues.
Violence in CAR is perpetrated by a variety of actors including rebel groups, bandits and mercenaries. Although decreased fighting and other factors have permitted small waves of returns, new displacement greatly challenges humanitarian intervention.
JRS programmes will serve internally displaced persons, refugees, returnees and local populations affected by conflict. JRS will offer a range of services but focus on primary level and girls' education. These will involve training, supervision and accompaniment of teachers, and the distribution of educational materials to students and teachers, among other activities.
In addition to primary education, JRS will offer peace education and advocacy activities, as well as pastoral and social services. Using a community-based approach, JRS will work closely local authorities, traditional leaders, civil servants, including the army, and other community members.
JRS CAR works in cooperation with the Catholic Diocese, the UN children's fund (UNICEF), the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the Ministry of Education. JRS seeks to help build the capacity of local populations to deliver quality education and boost literacy rates among children. In line with the JRS mission, individuals living in vulnerable circumstances will be prioritised.
JRS conducted an initial needs assessment in CAR last May. Flooding during the rainy seasoning, impassable roads, poor infrastructure and insecurity have delayed the commencement of projects. Services are expected to be fully operational by 15 December. CAR also hosts about 7,500 refugees mainly from the bordering conflict zones of Chad, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
JRS DISPATCHES is sent from the International Office of the Jesuit Refugee Service, CP 6139, 00195 Roma Prati, Italy. Tel: +39-06 689.77.386; Fax: +39-06 688 06 418; Email: dispatches@jrs.net; JRS on-line: http://www.jrs.net; Publisher: Peter Balleis SJ; Editor: James Stapleton; Translation: Carles Casals (Spanish), Edith Castel (French), Simonetta Russo (Italian). To subscribe or unsubscribe to Dispatches go to http://www.jrs.net/lists/manage.php