Reports from the Kisangani transit camp indicate that since June 22, 2015, MONUSCO has stopped giving food rations to all Rwandan refugees in the Kisangani transit camp, including children, pregnant women and nursing mothers whose babies still depend on breast milk to survive.
The decision to increase the amount of physical and psychological stress to the refugees is another indication that MONUSCO and the Government of the DRC are determined to stage another blood bath in Kisangani, as this cruel endeavour is accompanied by multiple xenophobic insults hurled at the refugees by some of the Congolese official responsible for the camp.
“Whoever wants to eat should leave this camp and go find food in Rwanda” one of these officials is reported as saying, when approached by some refugees inquiring as to why there were no more food rations available to the refugees inside the camp.
In the meantime we have learned that MONUSCO is illegally detaining 16 Rwanda refugees including 4 women, contrary to what its representatives told Radio France Internationale, claiming that no one is under arrest, and that refugees are welcome to come and go as they please. All these detainees are in very poor health due to lack of food and medical attention, especially due to the fact that the area where they are being detained is hotbed for malaria and they are not allowed to be seen by any medical professional. To make matters worse, we have learned that, the 4 survivors of the Kanyabayonga who were forcefully removed from the Goma SEBECA Hospital run by International Committee of the Red Cross are still without any medical care, even though their injuries are still life threatening. We have also learned that Yvonne Kayitesi, the 42 year old female refugee, who fell into a coma after being brutally assaulted by UN and Congolese forces, has been rushed back to the Makiso General Hospital in Kisangani, shortly after we reported that she had been brought back into detention, with no indication her health had improved to warranty such a cruel move by the UN and DRC Government representatives.
We also now know the main people responsible for enforcing this cruel and inhumane policy towards our refugees. They are: MM Moseka on the DRC Government side, and the Majors JOEL and RODRIGUE on the MONUSCO DDRRR side. We call on the defenders of human dignity and decency to contact MONUSCO and demand that this barbaric treatment of these refugees be brought to a halt without any delays. It is also about time for both MONUSCO and the DRC Government to allow the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations into the camp to tend to the wounded, and the rest of these weary souls especially the most vulnerable, such as children, nursing mothers and pregnant women. We also call upon the UN to investigate and punish those responsible for this criminal scheme which is aimed at forcing refugees who fear for their lives back into the hands of those they run away from.
Louise MUKASINE
