By Beatus Kagashe
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
About 3,000 newly naturalized and Somali bantu refugees living in Chogo settlements in Tanga region will soon be granted Tanzanian citizenship, the refugees agency said yesterday.
Speaking at the press conference to mark the world refugee’s day on June 20, The United Nations High Commissioner (UNHCR) country representative, Mr. Oluseyi Bajulaiye, said since 2005, the government offered Tanzanian citizenship to a small group of Somalis who fled in the country in the 1990s.
Mr Bajuyaile said 162,000 Burundi refugees in Rukwa and Tabora region were granted citizenship recently. He said those who have been granted citizenship were hosted in Tanzania since 1972 in the old settlements of Katumba, Mashamo and Ulyankulu.
The UNHCR in collaboration with the alliance Francaise is organizing a photo-exhibition on Sunday capturing the gradual integration of these former Somalis into Tanzanian.
The public launch exhibition will take place on Tuesday next week and will be animated with traditional drum and dances and the theme of this year is “Home”.
He said Tanzania ranking as a host of refugees has dropped from the 7th place in the 2008 to 21st in 2009.
Tanzania hosted over 680,000 refugees in Kigoma and kagera regions in 2000 making it the first African country
“We UNHCR and other partner wants to recognizes the efforts of Tanzanian government to pursue and attain dignified and durable solutions for refugees,” Said Mr Bajuyaile adding that still there are 37,000 Burundi and 59,000 Congolese refugees who still camp in kigoma region and home is still distant memory to them.
The UNHCR’s annual global trends report of 2009 released yesterday, shows that 43.3 million people are uprooted by conflict and persecution saying this is the highest number since the mid of 1990s.
The deputy Representative Chansa Kapaya said the exhibition is the time to refugees to be heard and say what they feel.
“It’s a symbolic day because the world needs to remember the toughness they are facing and everyone can become a refugee at anytime,” said Ms Kapaya.
Source: The Citizen