Decade of Unrest: Unrecognized Refugees in Uganda and the Future of Refugee Protection in the Great Lakes

In southwestern Uganda there is a small camp called Kibati, which houses about 7,000 displaced Rwandans and Burundians. These people have come to Uganda in search of safety in the midst of the conflict and turmoil which has wracked the Great Lakes Region for more than a decade. Although the members of the Kibati group have not been forced back across the border, they have not had the opportunity to have their claims for refugee status assessed—a necessary step on the path to both legal status and vital international assistance.

Authorities in Uganda are reluctant to assess the status of this group because they believe that they had previously found protection and safety in Tanzania. This assertion has not, however, been tested on a case by case basis. While those who have truly found protection in a host country may legitimately be barred from refugee status in a third country, this should not be applied as a blanket assessment.

Security concerns generated by the groups’ presence have also been raised. Suspicions that some among the group may bear responsibility for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda have formed part of the backdrop to the plight of this group. International refugee law does not permit refugee status to be extended to those who have committed serious crimes, but the failure to institute procedures to identify those who might be guilty of such crimes has left the entire population under suspicion.

The Kibati Group and Refugee Protection in the Great Lakes

The story of the Kibati group and their plight is also a story of the increasingly difficult questions facing those who flee into exile in Africa—and those charged with protecting them. Since the extraordinary outflow from in Rwanda in the wake of the 1994 genocide, the perception of refugees in this region previously famed for its hospitality has changed. Refugees are now increasingly viewed not as passive victims, but as active agents in conflict. This perception, in addition to the perceived economic burden imposed by refugees, has generated harsher measures against the displaced.

As refugees and the displaced become easy scapegoats, there are reports of a resurgence of the use of force against refugees, increasing disregard for the voluntary nature of repatriation and a diminished respect for the role and authority of UNHCR. At the same time, there are positive signals in the region. Conflicts in the DRC, Burundi and southern Sudan appear to be abating through negotiated settlements. And the International Conference on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development in the Great Lakes heralds a new, integrated regional approach.

At a time when refugee protection policy and practice is at a crossroads in the region, the way in which governments, international organizations and local communities have faltered and succeeded in responding to the plight of the Kibati group presents critical issues for reflection.

Decade of Unrest (PDF-812KB)

Background to the conference
Agenda
Participants list
Meeting of the African NGO Refugee Protection Network