Burundi Refugee Rwanda
Proposed Refugee Admissions for FY 2005 -- Report to the Congress
The UN is also currently planning a large-scale organized repatriation to begin in late 2004 to assist some 600,000 Sudanese refugees return home from Uganda, Ethiopia, DRC, Kenya, and Egypt (although the ongoing violence in Darfur may complicate those efforts). Nearly 180,000 Burundian refugees have returned home since 2002, more than 50,000 of them from Tanzania this year alone. With security continuing to improve in Burundi, the UN plans to start organized repatriation for the remaining 800,000 Burundi refugees in late 2004. More than one million Rwandan refugees returned home in the mid-1990s and 2004 saw some organized repatriation of Rwandans from Uganda. The Refugee Convention cessation clause was expected to be invoked for Rwandans by UNHCR by the end of 2004. In the DRC, despite the signing of a peace accord in July 2003, instability and sporadic violence persisted, and very few Congolese refugees returned home in 2004. Finally, some 400,000 Somalis remained in ex ... [Read More]
Rice, Jolie Mark World Refugee Day in Washington Ceremony - US Department of State
In front of this crowd of almost 400 refugee activists and supporters, a movie star and a diplomat were not the most riveting figures on the National Geographic stage. The crowd offered its longest and loudest ovations to Paul Rusesabagina, the hotel manager who provided protection for more than 1,000 refugees during Rwanda’s genocide in 1994. His story was the subject of the acclaimed 2004 film Hotel Rwanda. ... Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, left, greets Paul Rusesabagina, right, joined at center by actress Angelina Jolie, June 15. Rusesabagina’s story was retold in the film “Hotel Rwanda”(State Dept. Photo - Janine Sides) ... [Read More]
Involuntary Repatriation of Rwandan Refugees
We call on the Governments of Rwanda and Burundi to halt immediately their efforts to forcibly return asylum seekers and to uphold their commitments under international law regarding the basic right to seek asylum and protection in neighboring states. Rwandan asylum seekers still in Burundi should be moved from the border to secure locations within Burundi where the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), together with the Burundian government, can conduct individual status determinations. No asylum seeker in either country who can demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution should be returned against his or her will. We also call on the Governments of Rwanda and Burundi to provide UNHCR and its partner organizations with access to refugees and returnees in both countries so that protection and assistance may be provided to those in need. ... [Read More]
Rwanda (01/05)
The Rwandan economy is based on the largely rainfed agricultural production of small, semisubsistence, and increasingly fragmented farms. It has few natural resources to exploit and a small, uncompetitive industrial sector. While the production of coffee and tea is well-suited to the small farms, steep slopes, and cool climates of Rwanda, farm size continues to decrease, especially in view of government ownership of all land and the resettlement of displaced persons. Agribusiness accounts for 50% of Rwandas GDP and 70% of exports. Tea accounts for 60% of export earnings, followed by coffee and pyrethrum (whose extract is used in insect repellant). Mountain gorillas serve as a potentially important source of tourism revenue, but Rwandas tourism and hospitality sector requires further development. Rwanda is one of 20 member states of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and hoped to form a free trade area with Burundi in January 2004. Some 34% of Rwandas imports ... [Read More]
$10 Million Toward Refugee Emergency in Congo
The United States Government will provide emergency funding of $10 million for assistance to refugees and conflict victims, allocated as follows:$3.5 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for Congolese refugees in neighboring states and refugee populations within the Democratic Republic of the Congo. $2.5 million to the United Nations Childrens Emergency Fund for the procurement and distribution of essential pharmaceuticals in Congo. $2.0 million to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to ensure field coordination and to fund quick impact projects in Congo. $1.5 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross for emergency assistance programs to internally displaced persons. $500,000 to the United Nations Security Coordinator for the deployment of field security advisors to help ensure safe working conditions for United Nations and Non-Governmental relief workers ... [Read More]
FY 2004 Refugee Admissions Program
One of my colleagues at USCR is returning today to the U.S. from a site visit in Nepal. We issued a press statement about that site visit where we reaffirmed our strong support for repatriation to Nepal, and -- I mean to Bhutan, and called upon the Bhutanese Government to reverse the mistakes that had been in the verification process.We emphasized, as was previously said, most refugees do want to go home. The Bhutanese want to go home, and we support their ability to do so. But current events have shown us that the Bhutanese Government has no real aim to bring home those refugees. Therefore, we promote the broader, durable solutions for these refugees, including resettlement if it's appropriate. I met, this morning, with someone from the Center for Victims of Torture who provide services to women in those camps who've suffered rape. There was a major report about this last year. Those, for example, rape victims and other women at risk, could be among t ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Text: U.N. Refugee Agency Cites 12 Million Displaced
In Africa during the year, UNHCR reported large-scale movements from Angola, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Somalia, Burundi, Liberia, Rwanda and Senegal. However, 267,000 refugees were able to return home, notably to Sierra Leone, Somalia, Eritrea, Burundi, Rwanda, Angola, Ethiopia and Sudan. ... A census of refugees and displaced persons conducted by the U.S. Committee for Refugees released earlier in June counts a broader range of displaced persons and announced a total of almost 15 million refugees and 22.5 million internally displaced persons at the beginning of 2002. ... [Read More]
Press Releases
1111--06/14/05 Involuntary Repatriation of Rwandan Refugees ... 1111--04/05/04 U.S. Delegation to Rwanda for the 10th Commemoration of the Rwandan Genocide ... 1111--08/20/03 Urge the Government of Rwanda to Hold Free and Fair Elections ... [Read More]
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