Nyarugusu (Tanzania): several maize fields destroyed by the camp administration

The incidents occurred since early this week at the Nyarugusu camp in Tanzania. The refugee camp managers destroyed maize fields to discourage farming activity.
The refugees speak of “a crime assumed”. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

On Monday and Tuesday, the Nyarugusu camp administration and guards were busy walking around the camp to scout out all the maize fields in the Burundian part of the camp.

“They roamed the villages, chanting songs as if they were doing a commendable job. Five zones (7, 8, 9, 10 and 11) have been more targeted. All the fields have been razed. It’s a shame to see a human being destroying fields in daylight. It is an assumed criminality”, criticize several Burundian refugees.

Double standard

“It is worrying to see that the Congolese side is not concerned. Aren’t we all refugees on the same level? “Ask Burundians who confided in SOS Médias Burundi.

The camp administration says it wants to “discourage agriculture for refugees who must register and respond to voluntary repatriation”.

However, some Burundians see it as a poorly concealed desire to “force us to repatriate in full view of the UNHCR, which should protect us”.

Agriculture was again barely permitted, after a year, just for vegetables and beans. Refugees took the opportunity to put some grains of corn in it.

“In a field of beans, you could find at least 50 stalks of corn, no more. But these people did not fail to cut any stalk of corn”, regret refugees.

Nyarugusu is a camp unresponsive to massive voluntary repatriation as Burundi and UNHCR agreed to repatriate more than 70,000 Burundians in 2023, mainly from Tanzania which hosts more Burundian refugees, more than 145,000 in two camps: Nyarugusu and Nduta, according to UNHCR.