TANZANIA-REFUGEES: UNHCR CONCERNED WITH BORDER CLOSURE

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

ALPHA NUHU

DAR ES SALAAM, Jun 5 1995 (IPS) - THE U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR) HAS CRITICISED TANZANIA’S DECISION TO SEAL ITS BORDER WITH NEIGHBOURING BURUNDI SAYING IT IS AN ABROGATION OF ITS INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS.

“THE BORDER CLOSURE IS A BREACH OF THE GENEVA CONVENTION ON REFUGEES,” SAID KARL STEINACKER, A SENIOR UNHCR PROGRAMME OFFICER HERE.

TANZANIA CLOSED ITS BORDER WITH BURUNDI TWO MONTHS AGO IN AN ATTEMPT TO CHECK A HUGE INFLUX OF REFUGEES WHO ARE FLEEING ETHNIC VIOLENCE IN THE TINY CENTRAL AFRICAN STATE.

TANZANIA’S DECISION, ACCORDING TO GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES, WAS PROMPTED BY THE STATE OF INSECURITY CAUSED BY THE REFUGEE INFLUX. THERE IS CONCERN THAT AMONG THE REFUGEES ARE HUTU MILITIAMEN AIMING TO STRIKE BACK AT THE BURUNDI ARMY.

HOWEVER, “WE FEEL THAT PEOPLE IN BURUNDI HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE ACCEPTED IN TANZANIA AS THOUSANDS OF THEM ARE STILL WAITING TO CROSS THE ALREADY-CLOSED BORDER,” SAID STEINACKER.

TANZANIA HAS MORE THAN 700,000 BURUNDI AND RWANDESE REFUGEES WHO IN THE PAST TWO YEARS HAVE FLED TRIBAL KILLINGS BETWEEN THE MINORITY TUTSI AND MAJORITY HUTU IN THE TWO FORMER BELGIAN COLONIES.

ETHNIC MASSACRES FLARED IN BURANDI IN OCTOBER 1993 WHEN DEMOCRATICALLY-ELECTED HUTU PRESIDENT MELCHIOR NDADAYE WAS KILLED IN AN ATTEMPTED COUP BY TUTSI OFFICERS AFTER THREE-MONTHS IN POWER.

A WEAK, ETHNICALLY MIXED COALITION GOVERNMENT UNDER PRESIDENT NTIBANTUNGANYA IS CAUGHT BETWEEN TUTSI EXTREMISTS IN THE ARMY WHO REFUSE TO GIVE UP THEIR POWER AND THE HUTU MILITIA WHO HAVE LAUNCHED TERROR CAMPAIGNS AGAINST TUTSI CIVILIANS.

SIMILARLY, TWO MILLION RWANDESE FLED TO TANZANIA AND ZAIRE FOLLOWING THE ETHNIC BUTCHERY THAT ACCOMPANIED THE DEATH OF PRESIDENT JUVENAL HABYARIMANA ON APRIL LAST YEAR, AND VICTORY OVER THE HARDLINE HUTU INTERIM GOVERNMENT OF THE TUTSI-BASED RWANDESE PATRIOTIC FRONT.

THE INFLUX OF THE REFUGEES HAS FORCED OVERBURDENED TANZANIA TO APPEAL FOR INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE BECAUSE OF THE COUNTRY’S PRECARIOUS ECONOMIC SITUATION.

RECENTLY, TANZANIA’S PRIME MINISTER CLEOPA MSUYA SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT TOLERATE ATTEMPTS TO TURN THE COUNTRY INTO A REFUGEE CENTRE.

“TANZANIA IS READY TO RECEIVE REFUGEES BUT FIRST OUR NEIGHBOURS MUST SETTLE THEIR OWN PROBLEMS,” MSUYA TOLD A UNHCR DELEGATION LAST WEEK.

IN APRIL, SENIOR UNHCR OFFICIALS IN NORTHERN TANZANIA HAD ACCUSED THE ARMY PATROLLING THE BURUNDI BORDER OF HANDING OVER HUTU REFUGEES THEY CAUGHT TO THE BURUNDESE MILITARY — A VIRTUAL DEATH SENTENCE. UNHCR OFFICIALS CLAIMED PRIVATELY THAT THE TUTSI DOMINATED ARMY WAS ETHNICALLY CLEANSING THE BORDER REGION.

CONTINUING ETHNIC CLASHES IN THE CAPITAL BUJUMBURA BETWEEN HUTU MILITIAS AND THE ARMY HAS ADDED TO THE NUMBERS OF DISPLACED IN BURUNDI AIMING TO CROSS THE BORDER. THERE ARE ALSO MORE THAN 270,000 RWANDESE HUTUS IN THE COUNTRY, SEVERAL THOUSAND OF WHOM TRIED TO ESCAPE INTO TANZANIA IN APRIL.

MEANWHILE, BETWEEN 10 TO 15 REFUGEES DIE EVERY WEEK DUE TO MALARIA AND ANEMIA AT KASULO CAMP IN TANZANIA’S NORTH-WESTERN NGARA DISTRICT.

A SENIOR MEDICAL OFFICER WITH THE TANZANIA RED CROSS SOCIETY REPORTED HERE THE EXISTENCE OF HIGH RATE OF MATERNAL COMPLICATIONS AND ABORTIONS AT THE CAMP, NOW HOSTING MORE THAN 200,000 REFUGEES, MOSTLY FROM RWANDA.

“THE DEATH RATE COULD BE HIGHER BECAUSE CASES RECORDED WERE THOSE REPORTED AT THE REFERRAL HOSPITAL,” SAID CLAUDIA ARNDT.

THE OFFICIAL ATTRIBUTED THE PREVALENCE OF ANEMIA TO MALARIA AND FAILURE TO COPE WITH FOOD PROVIDED AT THE CAMPS.

THE UNHCR FOOD RATION IS THE BARE MINIMUM. “YES WE ARE BUILDING MALNUTRITION,” ONE AID WORKER WITH THE AGENCY CONCERN ADMITTED IN APRIL.

WATER IS IN SHORT SUPPLY IN THE FIVE REFUGEE CAMPS IN NGARA. RATHER THAN A DAILY RATION OF FIVE LITRES, THE REFUGEES FREQUENTLY GO WITHOUT.