Zairian Soldiers Force Thousands of Rwandan Refugees Back to Homeland Amid Fears of Violence

Rwandan refugees, mostly Hutu, are being forced back to their homeland by Zairian soldiers, who are using trucks, buses, and private vehicles to ferry them to the border. The expulsions have turned into a disaster, with warnings from the United Nations and the State Department that it could lead to violence. The refugees, who include soldiers, militia, and former officials of the Hutu-dominated government, fear retaliation from Rwanda's new Tutsi government for their role in the 1994 massacres.

Key Takeaways:

• Zairian soldiers have forced thousands of Rwandan refugees back to their homeland, with an estimated 10,000 being sent back in one day.
• The refugees, mostly Hutu, include soldiers, militia, and former officials of the Hutu-dominated government who are blamed for planning and carrying out the 1994 massacres.
• The Rwandan government is screening those who return, searching for those responsible for last year's killings.
• Refugees complained about being beaten by soldiers and having their belongings stolen, with smoke billowing from one camp after soldiers set fire to huts.
• Aid workers at the Mugunga camp said Zairian soldiers looted the camp on Monday night, with many aid workers leaving the camps around Goma today.
• The refugees are being bused to a United Nations transit camp 15 miles south of the Rwandan town of Gisenyi, while others fled into the hills at Uvira with little food or water.
• Almost all the refugees are Hutu, with nearly 2 million Hutu fleeing their homeland when Tutsi-led rebels seized power in July 1994.
• The rebels took over after an estimated 500,000 people, mostly Tutsi, were killed by Hutu-led militias.
• Rwanda's new Tutsi Government has charged that the Hutu militants in the refugee camps were rearming and preparing to attack Rwanda.
• The United Nations and the State Department warned that the expulsion of Rwandan refugees could turn into a disaster if not stopped.

Statistics:

• An estimated 10,000 Rwandan refugees were sent back to their homeland in one day.
• There are approximately 750,000 Rwandan refugees living in camps in eastern Zaire, mainly in the Goma area.
• Almost all the refugees are Hutu, with 62% of the refugees being women, children and elderly men.
• The 1994 massacres resulted in an estimated 500,000 deaths, mostly Tutsi.

Sources:

• Agence France-Presse (caption to photograph)
• United Nations refugee spokesman Chris Bowers