Tanzania : when the authorities turn religious leaders into instruments of forced repatriation

SOS Médias Burundi

Kigoma, September 24, 2025 – From Nduta to Nyarugusu, pastors, leaders of religious movements, and sheikhs were ordered to actively participate in raising awareness among Burundian refugees about voluntary return. The ultimatum was issued by a delegation led by the Inspector General for Refugees in the Kigoma region, which hosts these two camps.

On Monday, an extraordinary meeting was held at the Nyarugusu camp, bringing together pastors, leaders of Catholic action movements, and a sheikh.

Accustomed to preaching before their congregations, these religious leaders this time listened to a “sermon or homily” delivered by John Walioba Mwita, Inspector General for Refugees.

Drawing on the Bible, he declared :
“You are religious leaders, you must follow the model of Moses, God’s emissary to the people of Israel in ancient Egypt,” leaving some thirty refugees’ representatives perplexed.

Then he added :
“Go before the Burundian people (considered the people of Israel) from the Nyarugusu camp (considered ancient Egypt) to bring them back to the land of milk and honey, Burundi.”

John Walioba Mwita continued :
“If Muhammad, Jesus, or even the apostles of God were ever here, they would do it like this.”

Accusing religious leaders of “misleading the people of God” by not actively participating in outreach, he urged them to systematically preach for the return of the refugees :
“Every time, preach for the return of the refugees to Burundi, every Sunday and Friday, in churches, mosques, and prayer rooms. »

The president of the Nyarugusu camp insisted :
“Your message is stronger, even those who don’t believe in God follow it. And besides, start registering to return, that way they’ll see you as excellent role models.”

The delegation also included a senior army officer, introducing himself as “in charge of civilian operations in Tanzania.” His intervention sowed panic :
“We intervened and we used our best efforts to restore order. Deaths? Victims? Burned houses? We didn’t care! The main thing was to restore order. I was part of the team. I’m still part of that team, ready to do the same if you don’t follow what we tell you : repatriate!” he insisted.

On September 18, the same delegation went to the Nduta camp to deliver the same message. Last Sunday, however, a pastor urged caution :
“But the pastor was clever, reminding the refugees to ‘choose the right path and leave the worst, as the Bible says.’ ‘Don’t be intimidated by the wind, the good Lord will be on our side,’ he added.”

For the refugees, Tanzania is multiplying messages of intimidation and coercion, under the guise of “voluntary” repatriation. They affirm that they will not give in and call on the Tanzanian authorities to ensure their protection in accordance with international commitments.

The UNHCR between ambiguities and commitments

In early September, the UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner for Protection, Ms. Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, led a five-day mission to Tanzania to explore durable solutions for Burundian refugees.

“Our shared goal with the Global Protection and Solutions Assessment is to identify and implement durable solutions that respect refugees’ rights and promote their long-term reintegration,” she said.

But refugees are asking :
“What rights did she talk about while we cry foul about the violation of our basic rights every day?”

In Nyarugusu, Ms. Menikdiwela met with Burundian and Congolese refugees’ leaders, concerned about budget cuts to education and health, as well as forced repatriation.

She reaffirmed UNHCR’s commitment to “listening to refugees” and working with the Tanzanian government :
“In these challenging times, it is essential that the voices and concerns of refugees remain at the heart of our protection work, including advocating for long-term solutions that will enable refugees to lead safe and dignified lives.”

Ms. Menikdiwela insisted :
“The UNHCR remains fully committed to supporting the informed, voluntary, and safe return of the thousands of refugees who have decided to return home to Burundi. We call on the international community to provide increased support for reintegration and development projects in Burundi to help returnees rebuild their lives.”

For the refugees in Nyarugusu and Nduta, “this diplomatic discourse fuels ambiguity and benefits the Tanzanian and Burundian authorities to the detriment of those affected, victims of human rights violations.”

Since 2017, more than 180,000 Burundian refugees have returned home with the UNHCR support. More than 110,000 remain in camps in Tanzania.