Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

REFUGEES: Niger – Nigeria

REFUGEES: Niger – Nigeria May 1st–31st 2016 Africa Research Bulletin – 20991 Kigali, this time for conscripting refu- Congolese government spokesman, UN Office for the Coordination of gees from the Mahama camp in eastern Mende. (Sources as referenced in text) Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has Rwanda to join Burundi’s armed oppo- blamed a lack of funds for the shortages. Meanwhile the Congolese government sition. Rwanda vehemently rejects all the Of the $316m needed to finance human- announced the transfer to Kinshasa of allegations. itarian efforts in Niger just under a the deputy head of the Rwandan Hutu quarter has been raised, according to Rwanda is believed to have provided rebels of the Democratic Forces for the the agency. O’Brien promised to raise direct military support to the M23 as a Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), Leopold funds at the World Humanitarian Sum- way of maintaining its influence in DR Mujyambere following his arrest in mit in Istanbul, starting May 23rd. Congo. A UN group of experts’ report Goma, Nord-Kivu in 2012 also accused Uganda of helping Several charities have warned that tough In March, another FDLR leader, Wla- with troop reinforcements, weapons security measures imposed by Niger’s dyslaw Ntaganzwa, arrested in Nord- deliveries, technical assistance, joint authorities in its battle against Boko Kivu Province in December, was trans- planning, political advice and the facil- Haram have hampered the flow of food ferred to Rwanda. (Radio Maendeleo, itation of external relations. But General aid to Assaga. Markets have been Bukavu 6/5) Edward Katumba Wamala, chief of closed, the fish and pepper trades sus- Uganda’s defence forces, said Kampala Ugandan Officers Killed: Uganda has pended and whole areas evacuated. would “definitely be against” any sent an official complaint to neighbour- Abdou Kaza, the region’s military gov- attempt to recruit ex-M23 combatants ing DR Congo after four police officers ernor, insists the measures are necessary camped at the Bihanga military barracks were shot dead on a lake between the to cut off funds destined for the insur- in Uganda’s western district of Ibanda. neighbours, the Foreign Ministry said gents and will only be temporary. But on May 24th. according to the UN, restoring normal- Is There Any Evidence? ity to the region will be a herculean task. The Ugandan police officers were in a (© AFP 21/5 2016) While a pool of hardened former rebels patrol boat investigating reports of ille- remains in Rwanda and Uganda, con- gal fishing on Lake Albert on May 21st crete evidence of their remobilisation is when gunmen opened fire. Uganda has South Sudan – Sudan difficult to pin down. blamed DR Congo troops for the killing. DR Congo officials have not responded More than 69,000 South Sudanese have “I have only seen claims by the DRC to a request seeking comment. arrived in neighbouring Sudan since government – who have their own inter- January, fleeing conflict and food short- ests – and claims that haven’t been Tensions have risen between security corroborated by independent sources, forces along the lake in recent years, ages in their war-torn country, OCHA such as Refugee International and others with each side detaining soldiers and said on May 19th. The majority of the who have reported on such issues,” Alex police from the other. new arrivals had come to East Darfur, it Fielding, senior analyst at Max Security said, adding that several other regions of “The government has requested that a Solutions, a geopolitical risk consulting Sudan, including South Darfur and meeting of security chiefs of both states firm, told IRIN. be held urgently,” Oryem said. West Kordofan, were also hosting refu- But “M23 does not currently function as gees. East Darfur was hosting “about “We have made it clear, in future these a coherent group that follows a hierar- 45,500 people or 66% of all the new incidents may compel Uganda to take chical chain of command. So some arrivals in 2016.” self-defence measures including hot pur- lower-level ex-combatants may have suit of those responsible.” (© AFP 24/5 As many as 226,950 South Sudanese been paid and recruited to join the 2016) Tensions simmer p. 20918 have sought refuge in Sudan since the Burundian insurgency,” he said. start of the civil war in December 2013, The failure of the disarmament, demo- the UN says. REFUGEES bilisation and reintegration (DDR) Until recently, the Sudanese government programme, despite international sup- Niger – Nigeria did not give South Sudanese the same port as a key provision of the Nairobi status as refugees, according them many agreement, has increased regional inse- Some 6,000 refugees are living in of the same rights and benefits as curity. hunger in Assaga camp in Niger. People Sudanese citizens. But Khartoum ended began to arrive from mid 2015, having Jason Stearns, director of the Congo that policy in March and said South fled attacks that have engulfed the Research Group at New York Univer- Sudanese should be classified as “for- sity, is also concerned. “There is little region as Boko Haram seeks to carve eigners” over Juba’s alleged support for sign that another large rebellion could be out a hardline Islamist state in the north rebels battling Sudanese troops in the formed out of the remnants of the M23. east of neighbouring Nigeria. border region. (© AFP 19/5 2016) But as elections approach in the Congo, Conditions in the camp have deterio- and as the political crisis in Burundi rated in recent months as food aid has deepens, there is always a danger that IN BRIEF struggled to reach its occupants. UN these officers could join new groups in emergency relief coordinator Stephen Cameroon – Nigeria: Nigeria and Cameroon the region,” he said. O’Brien, who visited the camp in mid- on May 4th signed a set of bilateral agree- The repatriation of former M23 fighters ments on cooperation against terrorism, vio- May, warned that the conflict had is an extremely sore point in regional lent extremism and cross-border crimes. “catastrophically exacerbated” the vul- relations. Only around 200 of the 1,377 (PANA 4/5) nerability of the region’s refugees, dis- ex-combatants in Uganda have returned placing people already dogged by Egypt – Sudan: Sudan insisted on May 2nd it home and are undergoing DDR. chronic food insecurity. had “sovereign rights” over two border terri- tories whose ownership has been the subject “We want them repatriated back home. Niger’s Humanitarian Affairs Minister of a long-standing dispute between Cairo and We have got a programme for them. But Lawan Magadji, who accompanied Khartoum. Sudan has regularly protested at we don’t know why our brothers in O’Brien on his visit, accepts that not Egypt’s administration of Halayeb and Sha- Uganda are still keeping them,” said the enough aid has reached the camp. The latin near the Red Sea, saying they are part of AB C © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series Wiley

REFUGEES: Niger – Nigeria

Loading next page...
 
/lp/wiley/refugees-niger-nigeria-vbB0sKlAjt

References (0)

References for this paper are not available at this time. We will be adding them shortly, thank you for your patience.

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
ISSN
0001-9844
eISSN
1467-825X
DOI
10.1111/j.1467-825X.2016.07037.x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

May 1st–31st 2016 Africa Research Bulletin – 20991 Kigali, this time for conscripting refu- Congolese government spokesman, UN Office for the Coordination of gees from the Mahama camp in eastern Mende. (Sources as referenced in text) Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has Rwanda to join Burundi’s armed oppo- blamed a lack of funds for the shortages. Meanwhile the Congolese government sition. Rwanda vehemently rejects all the Of the $316m needed to finance human- announced the transfer to Kinshasa of allegations. itarian efforts in Niger just under a the deputy head of the Rwandan Hutu quarter has been raised, according to Rwanda is believed to have provided rebels of the Democratic Forces for the the agency. O’Brien promised to raise direct military support to the M23 as a Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), Leopold funds at the World Humanitarian Sum- way of maintaining its influence in DR Mujyambere following his arrest in mit in Istanbul, starting May 23rd. Congo. A UN group of experts’ report Goma, Nord-Kivu in 2012 also accused Uganda of helping Several charities have warned that tough In March, another FDLR leader, Wla- with troop reinforcements, weapons security measures imposed by Niger’s dyslaw Ntaganzwa, arrested in Nord- deliveries, technical assistance, joint authorities in its battle against Boko Kivu Province in December, was trans- planning, political advice and the facil- Haram have hampered the flow of food ferred to Rwanda. (Radio Maendeleo, itation of external relations. But General aid to Assaga. Markets have been Bukavu 6/5) Edward Katumba Wamala, chief of closed, the fish and pepper trades sus- Uganda’s defence forces, said Kampala Ugandan Officers Killed: Uganda has pended and whole areas evacuated. would “definitely be against” any sent an official complaint to neighbour- Abdou Kaza, the region’s military gov- attempt to recruit ex-M23 combatants ing DR Congo after four police officers ernor, insists the measures are necessary camped at the Bihanga military barracks were shot dead on a lake between the to cut off funds destined for the insur- in Uganda’s western district of Ibanda. neighbours, the Foreign Ministry said gents and will only be temporary. But on May 24th. according to the UN, restoring normal- Is There Any Evidence? ity to the region will be a herculean task. The Ugandan police officers were in a (© AFP 21/5 2016) While a pool of hardened former rebels patrol boat investigating reports of ille- remains in Rwanda and Uganda, con- gal fishing on Lake Albert on May 21st crete evidence of their remobilisation is when gunmen opened fire. Uganda has South Sudan – Sudan difficult to pin down. blamed DR Congo troops for the killing. DR Congo officials have not responded More than 69,000 South Sudanese have “I have only seen claims by the DRC to a request seeking comment. arrived in neighbouring Sudan since government – who have their own inter- January, fleeing conflict and food short- ests – and claims that haven’t been Tensions have risen between security corroborated by independent sources, forces along the lake in recent years, ages in their war-torn country, OCHA such as Refugee International and others with each side detaining soldiers and said on May 19th. The majority of the who have reported on such issues,” Alex police from the other. new arrivals had come to East Darfur, it Fielding, senior analyst at Max Security said, adding that several other regions of “The government has requested that a Solutions, a geopolitical risk consulting Sudan, including South Darfur and meeting of security chiefs of both states firm, told IRIN. be held urgently,” Oryem said. West Kordofan, were also hosting refu- But “M23 does not currently function as gees. East Darfur was hosting “about “We have made it clear, in future these a coherent group that follows a hierar- 45,500 people or 66% of all the new incidents may compel Uganda to take chical chain of command. So some arrivals in 2016.” self-defence measures including hot pur- lower-level ex-combatants may have suit of those responsible.” (© AFP 24/5 As many as 226,950 South Sudanese been paid and recruited to join the 2016) Tensions simmer p. 20918 have sought refuge in Sudan since the Burundian insurgency,” he said. start of the civil war in December 2013, The failure of the disarmament, demo- the UN says. REFUGEES bilisation and reintegration (DDR) Until recently, the Sudanese government programme, despite international sup- Niger – Nigeria did not give South Sudanese the same port as a key provision of the Nairobi status as refugees, according them many agreement, has increased regional inse- Some 6,000 refugees are living in of the same rights and benefits as curity. hunger in Assaga camp in Niger. People Sudanese citizens. But Khartoum ended began to arrive from mid 2015, having Jason Stearns, director of the Congo that policy in March and said South fled attacks that have engulfed the Research Group at New York Univer- Sudanese should be classified as “for- sity, is also concerned. “There is little region as Boko Haram seeks to carve eigners” over Juba’s alleged support for sign that another large rebellion could be out a hardline Islamist state in the north rebels battling Sudanese troops in the formed out of the remnants of the M23. east of neighbouring Nigeria. border region. (© AFP 19/5 2016) But as elections approach in the Congo, Conditions in the camp have deterio- and as the political crisis in Burundi rated in recent months as food aid has deepens, there is always a danger that IN BRIEF struggled to reach its occupants. UN these officers could join new groups in emergency relief coordinator Stephen Cameroon – Nigeria: Nigeria and Cameroon the region,” he said. O’Brien, who visited the camp in mid- on May 4th signed a set of bilateral agree- The repatriation of former M23 fighters ments on cooperation against terrorism, vio- May, warned that the conflict had is an extremely sore point in regional lent extremism and cross-border crimes. “catastrophically exacerbated” the vul- relations. Only around 200 of the 1,377 (PANA 4/5) nerability of the region’s refugees, dis- ex-combatants in Uganda have returned placing people already dogged by Egypt – Sudan: Sudan insisted on May 2nd it home and are undergoing DDR. chronic food insecurity. had “sovereign rights” over two border terri- tories whose ownership has been the subject “We want them repatriated back home. Niger’s Humanitarian Affairs Minister of a long-standing dispute between Cairo and We have got a programme for them. But Lawan Magadji, who accompanied Khartoum. Sudan has regularly protested at we don’t know why our brothers in O’Brien on his visit, accepts that not Egypt’s administration of Halayeb and Sha- Uganda are still keeping them,” said the enough aid has reached the camp. The latin near the Red Sea, saying they are part of AB C © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Journal

Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural SeriesWiley

Published: Jun 1, 2016

There are no references for this article.