President Ndayishimiye's message to Refugees from Mahama Camp
RegionWeek Newsletter Vol III, Issue #112 | Friday, August 28, 2020
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Dear Readers,
Over 500 Burundian refugees from Rwanda (Mahama Camp) have returned home. They left Rwanda in the morning this Thursday, August 27th.
On the Burundian side, a large number of people welcomed the refugees, among them Burundi Minister of State for Home Affairs Gervais Ndirakobuca and Minister of Health Dr. Thaddée Ndikumana.
This was the first category of Burundian refugees to return home, a result of a new collaboration between the Government of Rwanda, Burundi, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR.
Burundi President Evariste Ndayishimiye wrote on Twitter :
"We welcome our brothers and sisters who have returned from exile in Mahama," he said. It is a great pleasure for their families and for Burundi. ”
“We welcome our brothers and sisters who have returned from exile in Mahama. It is a great joy for their families and for Burundi. Local Leaders are asked to support them at all stages in their repatriation. We encourage others who want to return home, Burundi is all ours. Welcome home!” - He tweeted
In his address, Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca said that: "The Burundian government is ready to work with the UNHCR to welcome those who want to return". The Minister of Health Thaddée Ndikumana reminded them that childbirth and healthcare service for children under 5 is free.
Burundi National Police spokesperson Peter Nkurikiriye told media that Burundi wishes to start receiving refugees from Rwanda twice a week, as it is for refugees from Tanzania.
As AP notes, the repatriation comes weeks after some refugees living in Mahama camp in eastern Rwanda petitioned Burundi's new president to facilitate a return process.
Their petition was given more weight early this month when Ndayishimiye accused Rwanda's government of holding Burundian refugees hostage, adding that his government was not ready to work with Rwanda to normalize relations.
The relationship between Burundi and Rwanda has been at its lowest point in years after Burundi accused Rwanda of backing a failed coup in 2015 and giving asylum to coup plotters, a claim Rwanda denies.
IN THE REGION
Rwanda has extended the duration of its nighttime curfew and banned travel to and out of the western region of Rusizi to deal with the recent rise in the number of cases of the new coronavirus. Rwanda was one of the first African countries to impose strict containment on March 22, before partially lifting these measures on May 1 when it had yet officially recorded only 225 cases and no deaths. (AFP)
In line with its commitment to fulfilling its role as an important partner for development and capacity building in Africa, India has handed over 36 vehicles including 10 buses, 10 troop carriers, two ambulances, and 14 motorcycles to Uganda. These are for civilians as well as for the use of Ugandan Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF). Earlier this week in the capital city of Kampala, Uganda, these were handed over by the Indian High Commissioner Ajay Kumar to Adolf Mwesige, Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs, Government of Uganda. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Uganda in 2018, had made the announcement of handing over these vehicles,” said MEA officials. (FINANCIAL EXPRESS)
Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina has been re-elected to serve a second five- year term as President of the African Development Bank Group on Thursday, August 27, 2020, by the Board of Governors of the Bank. A globally-renowned development economist and a World Food Prize Laureate and Sunhak Peace Prize Laureate, Dr. Adesina has distinguished himself in driving a bold agenda to reform the Bank and accelerate Africa’s development. He was first elected as President of the Bank on May 28, 2015.
As newly re-elected President, Dr. Adesina, a former Nigerian Minister of Agriculture, will begin his new term on September 1, 2020.
The election result, which gave him a hundred percent of votes of all regional and non-regional members of the Bank, was announced by the Chairperson of the Board of Governors of the Bank, Mrs. Niale Kaba, Minister of National Planning of Côte d’Ivoire.
The election took place on the final day of the 2020 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group, which was held virtually for the first time in the Bank’s history. (ECOFIN)
Thanks for Reading!
Fabrice Iranzi, RegionWeek.com
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