Zambia: bishops oppose government, UN on Rwandan refugees

February 01, 2012

The bishops of Zambia are opposing efforts by the nation’s government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to repatriate Rwandan refugees.

“Zambia has always been an oasis of peace in the midst of a region in conflict,” the bishops said in a statement. “As a result, Zambia has become a haven for refugees. We are therefore strongly disturbed by the complaints of the refugees, especially those from Rwanda, that the Ministry of Interior, in agreement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and eventually by the Rwandese government, are trying to forcibly repatriate Rwandan refugees.”

The bishops also denounced nepotism, decried violence against women and children, and warned that AIDS “devastates families and constitutes a major threat to our survival, both as a nation and as a continent.”

 

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Further information:

• Good relations with the government, but more attention to the weakest," write the Bishops (Fides)