Rwandan refugees status to end by December 31

The gov’t of Rwanda has announced the end to the status of all its refugees citizens who left the country during the 1994 civil war that split the country apart.

Under the convention signed between Rwanda and countries hosting refugees in Geneva last year, resolved that, among others, host nations halt all critical assistance to Rwandan refugees after December 31, and their refugee status would be scrapped.

According to Rwanda Minister in charge of refugees, the decision was taken in accordance to the agreement between his country and UNHCR that applies to those who had left Rwanda between 1959 and 1998.

Article 1 C of the Geneva Convention also stipulates that when the conditions that had led to the refugees to leave their country of origin cease to exist, in the case of a civil war with armed conflicts, their refugee status will never be recognised.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also echoed the same sentiments after it declared that it will freeze its transport support to 260,000 Rwandan refugees by December 2016 in a move to implement the cessation clause.

According to Rwandan government, over 3.4 million refugees have been repatriated since 1994, majority of them from DR Congo.