The students say moving to any refugee camp would be putting their lives at risk after alleged threats from the Rwanda High Commission in Uganda.
Kampala
The 16 Rwandan students who have filed for refugee status in Uganda over alleged witch-hunt by their government yesterday refused attempts by the Office of the Prime Minister to transfer them to one of the refugee camps in Uganda.
The students, who were informed of the planned transfer on Tuesday by Mr David Appollo Kazungu, the commissioner for refugees, declined the offer, citing insecurity in the camps.
The group spokesperson whose name is withheld for security reasons, told the Daily Monitor that following continued threats from the Rwandan High Commission in Uganda, moving to any refugee camp would be putting their lives at risk. “They have warned us that they shall get to us if we are taken to any refugee camp. They can only take us to that place over our dead bodies,” he said.
The students also cited continued threats against their lives from mysterious phone numbers.
“We have received almost two calls from private numbers telling us that we do not know what we are dealing with,” he says.
However, Mr Frank Mugambagye, the Rwanda ambassador to Uganda, said the students were basing their complaints on lies. “No official from the embassy could threaten and intimidate people under police protection,” Mr Mugambagye said.
The ambassador described the students as misguided. “These students are misguided and should go back to their home, they are making a big deal out of a simple examination fraud case,” Mr Mugambagye said.
Attempts to contact officials from the refugee department were futile as the commissioner was not picking his known phone number.
On Monday, the files of the 14 males and two females were forwarded to OPM, which is in-charge of handling refugees.
Source: DAILY MONITOR
Its very simple for those young Rwandans to be granted a refugee status anywhere..especially in abroad..if they feel that their lives will be in Danger Amnesty international should grant them asylum..and bring them in United States of America or Norway…, and seriously these kids if they happen to go back to their motherland, something which was a simple case now it happened to be turned out as a serious case, and these kids they will be tortured..if they won’t be imprisoned, so ladies and Gentlemen people who has got a way of helping these kids my advice to you is to help them and see how they can get rid of living in Uganda, cuz Uganda and Rwanda is almost one country, one intelligence, one system of going after those who try to oppose the government policy, Thank ..you if really care I mean people with high experience should help these kids, talk to Amnesty international…and help these young generation,..