Uganda: Congolese refugees engage in rice cultivation

Congolese refugees in Uganda have engaged in the development of the economy of their new home.

Dozens of them have launched the rice culture in the mountains of the village of Rwamanja.

A lucrative activity, rice is seen as the staple food in Ugandan.

“As a group, we consulted one an other and decided we should improve our well -being, we decided to look for agricultural land so that we can cultivate and see the benefits of agriculture. We are working with the Nation to see how we can all get the benefits instead of getting hired in the farms of local authorities” said one of the refugees.

The cooperation between the two communities appear operational.

And as more refugees find their way to the camp, the local people are helping by hunting birds from the fields.

“We are working with them , we take much because we give them food most of the time” said peace Tumwine, a habitant of Rwamanja.

According to the figures of the UN Refugee Agency, some 200,000 Congolese are now refugees in Uganda.

While thousands of others join the population in the camp each week, the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to confront itself with rising insecurity.

The primary areas of concern for UNHCR are food resources and medical capacity. UNHCR is partnering with the Government of Uganda, WFP, UNICEF, MSF and other organisations to plan for future influxes.

Uganda has a strong legal framework for protecting refugee rights, but critics often argue that the country lacks the ability to execute these laws.

In October 2008, there are about 147,000 refugees living in Uganda, 49,000 of them from DRC.