UNHCR Denies Help to Refugees
The Monitor (Kampala)
February 7, 2003
Posted to the web February 8, 2003
Paul Harera & Agencies
Kampala
The UNHCR will not provide assistance nor international protection to Rwandese refugees moving from Tanzania, the Uganda office has said.
There has been an influx of Rwandese refugees into Uganda from Tanzania, overwhelming the staff at Uganda's border posts.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees public information officer (Uganda) Bushra Malik said Wednesday that the agency considers the Rwandese refugees from Tanzania differently.
"UNHCR's position remains that irregular movers who have previously found protection in Tanzania will not be provided with assistance nor international protection by the Office of the UNHCR in Uganda," she said.
Tanzania says the refugees' status has expired, some of whom are suspected to have participated in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
Tanzania also expelled some Ugandan refugees two years ago, despite having lived in the country for three decades.
Refugee camps in western Uganda have since been overwhelmed, pre-empting Uganda to close the status-determination post at Bugango in Mbarara.
Latest reports however, indicate that the refugees were forced to use the Mutukula boarder post as an alternative route to enter Uganda.
