Nduta: the Tanzanian authorities announce that they will transform the Nduta camp into a fire fighters’ brigade camp

The Nduta’s Burundian refugee camp will be transformed into a “firefighter camp”, the mayor of Kibondo district where the Nduta camp is based, said last Sunday. He was in a meeting with officials from the surrounding areas of the refugee camp.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

These declarations worry the refugees as they are forced to return “voluntarily” before next December. This is the month of closure of this camp, as the Tanzanian authorities have announced since the beginning of the year. Agrey Magwaza, mayor of Kibondo, met with officials from communities surrounding Nduta camp on August 18 to tell them about the plan. These include chiefs of localities like Kumuhasha, Biturana, Nengo and Maroregwa.

Mr. Mwagaza confirmed that the region’s firefighters are ready to move to this camp, after its closure next December.

“The Burundian and Tanzanian governments as well as the UNHCR have agreed that all Burundian refugees must be repatriated before the end of this year. This is why we must think in advance about what we should do with this camp.” he declared.

Lesson from Mtendeli

According to the mayor of Kibondo in the Kigoma region (northwest of Tanzania) where the Nduta camp is located, the idea of ​​establishing a fire camp in Nduta was influenced by the situation which prevailed in Mtendeli, another Burundian camp which was closed in 2021.

“Several equipment and materials that should be recovered by the Tanzanian government were looted, offices of the UNHCR and other NGOs and UN agencies vandalized in Mtendeli,” insisted Agrey Magwaza.

“That’s why we need to prepare in advance,” he added.

Burundian refugees who have spoken to SOS Médias Burundi continue to denounce this situation which they describe as a “violation of our rights”.

“The insecurity that we fled remains relevant in our country,” lament fathers.

After the departure of the last Burundian refugee, the Tanzanian government intends to recover the offices of the UNHCR, other UN agencies and NGOs, without forgetting their equipment as well as the premises of hospitals and schools.

According to figures provided by the UNHCR at the end of last July, the number of Burundian refugees in Nduta is 58,375.

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Refugee representatives in a meeting with Burundian and Tanzanian officials to discuss forced repatriation, August 2024 (SOS Médias Burundi)