Local residents in Nyarubande, Rukundo Town Council in Kisoro district have complained about Persons of Concern (POC) who have indefinitely settled into the Kibaya area by constructing temporary shelters and encroaching on their trees and gardens.
POCs, is a term used to refer to the Congolese asylum seekers who have adamantly refused to move to the Nyakabande transit camp, as is directed by the international refugee law and the Uganda Refuge act.
It is over five months now, since the Congolese fled into Uganda following fighting between Congolese Government forces and the M23 rebel group.
The Nyakabande transit camp has been receiving asylum seekers since the 28th of March, 2022 to date.
Official camp sources from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) currently put the numbers at the transit and holding camp at over 16,000.
Routine relocations of the Congolese by UNHCR to various settlement camps including Nakivale and Kyaka has ensured that the numbers do not become exceeding too many.
A most recent development indicates, that the POCs have established a temporary camp near the Bunagana border at Kibaya.
The camp has grown exponentially with some Congolese, now encroaching on people’s private property.
According to photos being posted in several social media groups, hundreds of temporary shelters have sprung up near the Kibaya military barracks, having been erected by the asylum seekers.
These temporary shelters can been seen in eucalyptus trees, some belonging to Government and others to private land owners.
A resident who preferred anonymity says, the trees are being cut down for firewood for food and warmth as well as support for their erected shelters.
Despite the high rate of tree cutting, residents have also said the Congolese have animals that are destroying their crops.
They have also expressed fears of an outbreak of diseases associated with the onset of the rainy season. Several latrines have been filled while open defecation continues to be a real problem.
Camp sources from (OPM) say, they are aware of the camp near the border adding that efforts to sensitize them to move to Nyakabande transit camp are continuously on-going.
The Government further has plans to support the host communities with beans to plant during the rainy season, other food items as well as other income generating activities to help alleviate the burden caused by the POCs.
The district health department has also carried out fumigation of latrines and other open spaces to prevent any outbreak of cholera, dysentery or Polio.
Assistant District Health Officer In- charge of Survillieance Nick Muneza, Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) was very influential by providing its students to come and fumigate the area.
Muneza further urged host communities to ensure they embrace immunization against Polio and Covid-19 during the rainy season because their Congolese counterparts have little to no interest in available Medical care.
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