LHRC shows startling findings

Johannesburg/Bukoba. A total of 76 people -- believed to be Tanzanians -- are reportedly stranded at a number of temporary refugee camps in Rwanda. This follows the ongoing crackdown and deportation of illegal immigrants in Tanzania, according to a human rights activist.

Mr Patience Mlowe, an official with the Dar es Salaam-based Legal and Human Rights Centre, told The Citizen on Saturday from Rwanda over the phone that these were evicted from their homes in Kagera, Kigoma and Geita regions by mistake.

The official, who is the rights body’s programme officer in the Research Unit, has been conducting a survey to ascertain the truth behind allegations by the Rwandan government that its Tanzanian counterpart has been forcefully deporting even its own citizens.

Mr Mlowe, who at the time of the interview, claimed to be at Kiyanzi refugee camp, said there were many Tanzanians in Kinazi and Kirehe camps in Rwanda’s eastern province.

“There are 76 people who claim to be Tanzanians here at Kiyanzi. There are some more at Kinazi. The identification exercise is still going on,” he said adding; “There are people here who speak Kizinza who have been deported from Geita. The government here says it does not recognise them.”

Mr Mlowe relayed what officials of the Rwandan government said: “These are Tanzanians who claim were deported because they look like Rwandans; they are victims of their physical appearance.”

He said those deported appealed to the Tanzanian government to take them back because they were not Rwandans.

“They are, however, worried that their properties would not be there. They claim that security officers burnt down their houses,” Mr Mlowe said.

He said he talked with four children from the family of one Nicodemus Ntinda of Benako in Ngara District, who claimed they were sent to Rwanda while their parents were still living in Tanzania as citizens.

Mr Mlowe said he talked to a woman who claimed to have been married for 26 years to a Tanzanian, but was forced to leave her husband and four children.

He said further that the Rwandan government had received the deportees and was providing them with the necessities like food, water and milk.

On Monday, Kigoma North MP Zitto Kabwe claimed on his twitter that there were refugees and some Tanzanians who were being deported.

In one incidence, Zitto said, in one family, some members were being evicted and taken back to Burundi on claims they were not Tanzanians while others were being left behind. The MP said the refugees had even obtained CCM membership cards and voted during elections.

Early in the week the operation’s commander, Mr Simon Sirro, admitted that there were cases of people being deported by mistake. He said they were being returned after verification of their citizenship status.

He also confirmed the transfer of a District Police Officer in Kyerwa was related to allegations over malpractices. He said investigation against the officer was underway and that disciplinary measures would be taken if the allegations against him would be proved.

According to Mr Sirro, the operation was being implemented in a manner that considered a number of factors like marital status, place of birth and the number of years a person has lived in the country.

An “amnesty”, according to Mr Siro, has been granted to old aliens who, despite their illegal immigration status, have been staying in the country for many years and would absolutely find no place to stay when they were forced out of the country.

Tanzania’s government spokesman Assah Mwambene was, however, quoted denying reports that people were being forcefully evicted.

He denied foreign media reports that a total of 25,000 people had been forcefully returned in the last one month. He also refuted claims that the illegal immigrants were being harassed.