Ten Years after the Rwandan Exodus Assessing Refugee Protection in the Great Lakes

Background

In 1994 the Great Lakes region saw the largest and fastest refugee exodus in history, as over two million refugees streamed out of Rwanda. Among those claiming protection as refugees were a mixture of bona fide asylum seekers, armed fighters and many who had been involved in committing atrocities during the Rwanda genocide. This extraordinary exodus of refugees, government militias, and rebels set in motion events which engulfed the Great Lakes region in almost a decade of unrest.

Although many of those who initially fled have been able to return home, since that time thousands more have been forced to flee their countries all across the region, seeking out pockets of stability amid waves of inter-State and civil war, and increasingly hostage to a complex web of political interests.

In a region which has enjoyed a reputation for providing generous sanctuary, there are now indications that a new crisis may be brewing. Concerns about the security and economic implications of hosting large numbers of refugees-intensified by the rhetoric of the global war on terror-are generating harsher measures against the displaced. Diminishing international support and a continuing lack of adequate "burden sharing" with hard pressed States in the region have exacerbated the pressures. 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 the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

At the same time there are developments in the region that provide cause for hope. New refugee legislation is under consideration in the Ugandan and Kenyan parliaments, coordination of human rights protection efforts at the regional and sub-regional level is improving, and there are signs that conflict as a whole in the region may be abating through negotiated peace settlements in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Sudan.

Looking to the future, States in the region and their international partners are engaged in preparations for an International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, with the first summit of Heads of State slated for Dar es Salaam in November 2004. On the international plane, discussions on how to reinvigorate the traditional tools of protection have begun in fora such as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees' Convention Plus process, hinting at radical changes in how solutions for refugees are conceived and implemented.

Ten years after the Rwandan exodus there is a need for stocktaking-to review the state of refugee protection in the region, examine how to improve access to solutions, and set markers for future progress. A dialogue which will bring together both local and international NGO advocates and the principal non-Sate actors in refugee protection in the Great Lakes is proposed.

Objectives and Outcomes

The conference will review trends in refugee protection in the region, examine evidence of a diminishing commitment to protecting refugee rights, explore the effectiveness of available solutions and suggest improvements in practice and policy. To ensure the most open dialogue possible, Chatham House rules will operate.

Recommendations will be developed for presentation to States and regional organizations, particularly crafted as a contribution to the International Conference on the Great Lakes. They are expected to build upon the Comprehensive Plan of Action adopted in Conakry in 2000 on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the 1969 OAU Refugee Convention and take into account ongoing discussions within the Agenda for Protection and Convention Plus initiatives. A recommendations drafting group will be drawn from the organisers.

In identifying a set of recommendations for presentation to States, the Forum will also explore ways in which NGOs themselves might work more effectively together to promote effective durable solutions for the region's refugees. In this regard, following the forum there will be a meeting of the burgeoning African NGO Refugee Protection Network, a network of advocates in the region founded in 2001.

Participants

Participants and speakers will include expert representatives of international and local NGOs working with refugees in the region, academics, UNHCR, the UN system, independent experts and members of parliament in the region.

Strengthening the African Refugee Protection Network

A half day session at the end of the forum will bring together the African NGO Refugee Protection Network, a new network of civil society groups committed to working on refugee protection issues in the region, providing an opportunity for agreement on a program of action.