Hundreds of Rwandan refugees leaving in Zambia have
turned down the offer by their government to grant them passports for
purposes of repatriation.
The protesters, who are estimated to be about
4,000, were clad in black clothes and marched in Lusaka’s upmarket
Rhodespark area carrying placards denouncing the Rwandan government.
“…we’re unwilling to give names of our relations
both inside and outside Rwanda as required by the passport application
form, thereby putting them under the watchful eye of the Rwandan state
security,'' read part of the petition handed over to the Zambian
authorities.
This was when the Zambian government called for a
meeting between the refugees and visiting Rwandan delegation responsible
for the issuance of national passports.
Last week, the United Nations refugee agency in
Zambia announced that the visit of the delegation was prompted by the
concerns raised by members of the Rwandan community, whose refugee
status in Zambia has ceased, and who wished to obtain further
information about procedures on the acquisition of the Rwandan national
passport.
Some placards read: “Rwandan passport is slow poison”.
“When we take Rwandan passports, we put ourselves
under Rwandan Government control. This will mean that we no longer fear
persecution from the Rwanda state,'' said the petition.
It added that: ''We acknowledge that fundamental
and durable changes have taken effect in Rwanda regarding true
reconciliation, freedom of association and expression, democracy and
justice for all, thereby making it no longer necessary to be refugees
outside Rwanda.”
In the past, the Rwandese government has accused Zambia of harbouring genocide suspects, allegations the government denies.
SOURCE: AFRICA REVIEW
SOURCE: AFRICA REVIEW
