UGANDA - RWANDAN refugees living in Nakivale camp in Uganda have been stopped from carrying out farming activities in an effort to compel them to return home.

Festo Wafuta, the Assistant Commandant of the camp, told AFP news on Thursday that "about ten thousand Rwandan refugees remaining in Nakivale camp are refusing to return home after they were instructed to leave eight months ago”.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, James Musoni, Rwanda’s Minister of Local Government, said that there is no reason for Rwandans to live in refugee camps.

"They should return home instead of fighting for land in foreign countries,” he urged.

"We agreed with the Ugandan government to set up a joint mobilizations campaign to sensitize refugees on the benefits of returning home and this will start next month.”

Minister Musoni added that Rwandan citizens who stay in Uganda as refugees should start thinking of returning to their country since it is stable.

According to media reports, the Rwandan refugees are refusing to return for two reasons; scarcity of land in Rwanda, and Gacaca courts.

AFP quoted Ugandan Minister for Refugees and Disaster Preparedness, Tarsis Kabwegyere, as saying that fear of the Gacaca courts was not a valid reason to remain in Uganda.

"If they are criminals, let them face the law,” he said. "Our settlements are not a sanctuary..

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