Meheba : refugees elect new representatives, a Burundian among those elected

SOS Médias Burundi

Meheba, May 7, 2025 – Refugees in the Meheba camp in Zambia have just renewed their village representatives. While they welcome the process, many of them regret the low turnout and demand that the authorities listen more closely to their grievances.

In the vast Meheba refugee camp, located in northwest Zambia, some twenty new village chiefs, called Block Leaders, were elected in recent days. Each elected representative will now be responsible for representing their community in the different areas of the camp. A camp president will then be appointed from among them to serve as the main point of contact with local authorities and humanitarian partners. The newly elected council includes three women, including a Burundian woman appointed as an alternate in Block D, Route 36. This progress was welcomed, although voter turnout was deemed low by some refugees.

Lack of awareness and exclusion of certain groups

Several residents deplore a lack of mobilization around the electoral process.

“Many were not informed about the activity, which limited participation,” said a Congolese refugee.

Another source of frustration : the exclusion of Rwandan and Angolan refugees from the electoral process. The authorities justified this decision by stating that these communities are in the process of community reintegration as part of their upcoming naturalization in Zambia, which places them outside official refugee status.

High expectations for the new leaders

In a context marked by many frustrations, expectations for the newly elected officials are high. Among the most recurring demands : improved access to temporary exit permits from the camp, and the ability to legally live outside the camp for humanitarian or professional reasons.

Refugees also request that the camp president set up offices in each zone, with a permanent system.

“This way, he will have an easier time resolving our grievances, disputes, or simple services. This will avoid long trips to the center of the camp, which is very large,” emphasized a resident of Block B.

Collaboration announced by the authorities

The Zambian administration, which supervised the election, has committed to collaborating with the new leadership council to improve community governance in Meheba.

Meheba camp currently hosts more than 27,000 refugees, including approximately 3,000 Burundians. Despite relatively stable living conditions, refugees hope that this new leadership will amplify their voice and provide concrete solutions to their daily concerns.