A group of 2,500 Burundian refugees, fearing repatriation to their home
country, walked from Democratic Republic of Congo to nearby Rwanda. FILE
PHOTO | AFP
A group of 2,500 Burundian refugees, fearing repatriation to
their home country, moved Wednesday from the Democratic Republic of
Congo to nearby Rwanda, a spokesman said.
The refugees
belong to an obscure Catholic sect that follows a female prophet called
Zebiya and claim to have fled their homeland due to religious
persecution.
In January the group said humanitarian
agencies had stopped delivering them aid, after their refusal to
register on a biometric database, which they said would violate their
religion.
"It has been two months that we have had no
food aid from the (United Nations refugee agency), we were living under
threat from our Congolese neighbours and we feared being extradited to
Burundi," said a representative of the refugees, Dionyse Nyandwi.
He
said the refugees had told the UN mission in DR Congo, Monusco that
they wished to leave "for another country where we would be safe" and
the peacekeepers escorted them to Rwanda, some five kilometres (three
miles) away, on foot.
"We are waiting to be registered
... and we hope for a better welcome from the Rwandans because we speak
the same language and have the same culture," said Nyandwi of the
Burundians who have a similar ethnic background to Rwandans.
In September last year 36 Burundian refugees died in clashes
with Congolese soldiers during a protest over the detention of some of
their counterparts.
The UN in January announced a probe into the violence.
The UN in January announced a probe into the violence.
Tens
of thousands of Burundians have fled to the eastern DR Congo to escape a
wave of violence that unfurled in 2015 after Burundian President Pierre
Nkurunziza sought a fiercely contested third term in office.
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