Wednesday, August 28, 2013

RWANDA-ZAMBIA:Integrate us without acquistion of Rwandese passports, request refugees.

28 août 2013
THE Zambia Rwandese refugee’s leadership has taken a lead in requesting the Zambian government to go ahead with the local integration without making the acquisition of a “Rwandese passport” a condition sine qua none.
Integrate us without acquistion of Rwandese passports, request refugees. rwandan_passportThe Rwandese Refugees leadership are stressing that many countries in the region have offered a status of “permanent residence” to refugees without asking the acquisition of a national passport as perquisite condition.
“some countries such as South Africa, Mozambique, the D.R. Congo, Uganda, and Tanzania, former refugees have not needed Rwandan passports to be given permanent residence; Tanzania had locally integrated about 128,000 Burundian refugees without considering the possession of a passport from Burundi;the document reads in part.
They continued by underlining the vulnerability of getting the passport offered by the regime fled “We believe that this requirement, promoted by the Rwandan Government, makes us vulnerable to the same Government we have fled from for fear of persecution” as stated in the same document and wondering why the same office that had heard their confidences could be the same office that will be used to represent the same oppressor ,” There is a conflict of interest in the same office (referring to the Zambia High Commission for Refugees headed by Jacob Mpepo) dealing with our applications for Rwandan passports, and recently arrived Rwandan refugees asking for asylum in Zambia; the Commissioner for Refugees’ Office should not be a Consular office for the Rwandan Government which is still causing Rwandans to become refugees”.
However, the community leadership is very optimistic of the stance taken by the PF led Zambia government; “We believe the spirit of the Patriotic Front Government, to listen to the people, and to lift up the poor and vulnerable” in reference of the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs for his keynote speech at the Combined Church Service in the Holy Cross Cathedral on 30th June.
Recently, the Zambia and the Rwandese governments delegations signed a joint communiqué outlining the process of “former Rwandese Rrefugees” to acquire the Rwandese passport in the aftermath of the “Rwandese refugees cessation clause” that came in effect by 30th June 2013 despite the outcry rejection of the same documents of the Rwandese leadership Lusaka based and Meheba refugees camp during the meeting co chaired by the Zambia High Commissioner for Refugees Mr. Jacob Mpepo and the Rwandese Minister of Disaster Mitigation and Refugees Affairs Madame Seraphine Mukanatabana.

The Editor
Ikazeiwacu.unblog.fr

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