Uganda has resumed the repatriation of Burundian refugees from several settlements across the country. The exercise had been put on hold following logistical challenges between the two countries and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Unlike the first batch repatriated in December using chartered Uganda Airlines flights, the refugees will return home by road due to limited resources.
Since December, the UNHCR tripartite Commission on the Voluntary Repatriation of Burundi Refugees in Uganda has returned 1,200 Burundian refugees home.
Similarly, over 600 Burundians who fled political violence to Tanzania were safely returned in 2019.
Uganda’s Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees Hillary Onek said the number is part of a total of 45,000 Burundian refugees who have been living in the Uganda for over 10 years set to be repatriated.
“Burundi told us that they are now peaceful and that their people should go back. We started repatriating them by plane but they are currently moving by road through Rwanda to Burundi,” Mr Onek said.
Uganda currently hosts over 1.4 million refugees from different countries in East Africa including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea.
Onek also said although a tripartite agreement for the repatriation of South Sudanese refuges from Uganda has not been reached by the parties involved pending several security risk assessments, Uganda’s Office of the Prime Minister has continued to record individual and small groups crossings of South Sudan refugees from settlements in the West Nile region mainly through porous border points. It is mostly men and teenage boys crossing over to do surveillance of their former areas of residence and determine if it is safe to return. Relative peace returned to South Sudan in February last year after years of fighting.
However, many are forced to return home in spite of security concerns. Citing funding declines impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, the World Food Programme, announced that it would further reduce monthly relief cash and food rations for 1.26 million refugees in Uganda to 60 percent of a full ration.
These prevailing conditions in the communities over the past year brought about by reductions in food rations and other supplies have compelled many to return to their country to restart life.