- Title: ZAIRE: RWANDAN REFUGEES PRESSURED TO RETURN TO RWANDA
- Date: 15th February 1996
- Summary: KIBUMBA CAMP, ZAIRE (FEBRUARY 15, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV KIBUMBA REFUGEE CAMP WITH MOUNTAIN IN THE DISTANCE 0.05 2. SV TRUCKS IN THE CAMP 0.10 3. SCU PAUL STROMBERG, UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES SPOKESMAN, SPEAKING (ENGLISH) 0.52 4. SV PEOPLE IN CAMP COOKING FOOD 0.56 5. SCU CHADRACK KAVATIRI, REFUGEE BU
- Embargoed: 1st March 1996 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: KIBUMBA CAMP, ZAIRE
- City:
- Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of
- Reuters ID: LVA3RYT30B4ZHJ301MZQAMPXS2TJ
- Story Text: Zairean soldiers trying to pressure Rwandan refugees home closed down businesses in the largest camp on Thursday (February 15) after arresting 10 alleged refugee intimidators.
United Nations (U.N.) officials said five alleged intimidators were arrested on Tuesday by troops in Kibumba camp, with 190,000 residents, and five more on Wednesday in a bid to break their hold on the refugees.
They were the first arrests since 250 Zairean reinforcements took up positions on the perimeter on Tuesday at the start of a campaign to put pressure on the one million Hutu refugees to go home.
The refugees are from the Hutu majority and fled Rwanda in 1994 during civil war and the genocide of up to a million Tutsis and Hutu moderates by Hutu troops, militiamen and mobs.
Many refugees say they will be killed for the genocide they are blamed for if they return, so they will stay in Zaire.
U.N. officials said those seized on Tuesday were the Hutu camp president, the vice president and heads of the three zones in Kibumba, home to some 190,000 Rwandan Hutu refugees.
In the muddy alleyways of Kibumba's tarpaulin city, all but a few shops were closed on Thursday and streets were full of anxious men clutching radios rather than the usual shoppers.
Angry Hutu refugees accused Zairean troops of destroying their food and vegetable stalls and confiscating their wares.
But there was no sign of looting and U.N. officials denied reports of troops stealing.
The risk of confrontation between troops and refugees was at its highest since soldiers expelled 15,000 refugees in August.
Terrified camp residents scattered at the sight of Zairean camp troops in mustard uniforms approaching in vans.
The camp appeared to have been virtually sealed off despite its seven-km (four miles) perimeter. Commandos stood on the road facing Kibumba in groups of four some 500 metres (yards) apart.
Paul Stromberg, spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said Tuesday's arrests followed a meeting in Mugunga camp where refugee leaders told fellow Hutus to hide their arms by burying them and to stay in the refugee camps.
Some 70 Rwandan refugees returned to Rwanda on Wednesday from Kibumba, up from 30 on Tuesday, UNHCR officials said.
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