Jun 17 2009
Mtabila Burundian Refugee Camp
Mtabila, a refugee camp in Tanzania that mainly houses 35,000 Burundians, may be on its way to closing on 30 June. Lavinia Limón, President of the United States Committee for Refugees and Immigration, sent out a newsletter last week describing the threatened forced repatriation of Burundian refugees in this camp back to Burundi, a small nearby country. Burundians have been the victims of horrible ethnic persecution, and I have worked with several of them personally who have been resettled in the United States.
According to Limón, the camp will be handed over to the Tanzanian government, and it will no longer be under UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) control. Camp conditions are supposedly being made worse and worse to further encourage Burundian residents to return to Burundi.
Limón states that “Tanzania is a signatory to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the Organization of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa and forced repatriation is a clear violation of both.” (her emphasis)
Here is a link to USCRI and it’s letter-writing campaign to stop this action:
I’m sure there’s more to this story. I’ll see what I can dig up and report back.
I am living in TZ as a volunteer for the year and was wondering what your suggestions are for helping the situation?