United Nations Commission for Refugee (UNHCR) has urged Democratic Republic of the Congo to protect refugees and asylum-seekers following a shooting incident in Kamanyola on Friday which left scores killed and about 94 others injured.
The incident took place after Congolese soldiers fired live rounds at Burundian protestors in the eastern part of the country, many of whom UNHCR believes were refugees and asylum-seekers.
The protest, reported to be initially peaceful, allegedly started after a small group of Burundians were detained by Congolese authorities, creating fears they were going to be deported to Burundi.
“This is a devastating tragedy. It should never have happened,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, who welcome the announcement from Congolese officials of intention to launch an inquiry into the incident and called for it to be detailed.
“We need to establish facts and determine responsibility and make sure that such an incident never happens again.”
UNHCR had deployed a team to the area on Saturday to work with the medical staff of a partner organization in the local hospital to provide life-saving medical assistance to the injured.
So far, some 57 people with critical injuries were evacuated to Goma and the nearest city of Bukavu, while another 37 are being treated in Kamanyola.
The UNHCR team on the ground reports a tense situation with over 2,400 Burundians seeking protection next to the small MONUSCO (the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo) base in Kamanyola.
Reports say, they are too afraid to go back to the locations where they have been staying. Some refugees have expressed the wish to move elsewhere in Congo. UNHCR is working with local authorities to find a suitable location.
DRC hosts more than 43,700 refugees who have arrived from Burundi since 2015.
