GICUMBI - The head teacher of Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS) Primary and Nursery School for Congolese refugee at Gihembe Camp, has been sacked for allegedly promoting divisionism at the school. Julienne Mukantambara was fired by a meeting of the refugees’ executive committee on Monday, chaired by the refugees’ chairman Jean Nsengiyera. The primary school teachers wrote a letter (seen by The New Times) detailing all the accusations against Mukantambara, on which the decision was based. The letter was signed by 65 teachers and copied to Gicumbi District authorities, the Police and Kageyo Sector authorities. “Mukantambara has been dividing teachers along ethnic lines for the last one year and down playing the massacre against Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese in North Kivu,” said Nsengiyera. Mukantabara is also accused of preaching ethnic cleansing to primary school pupils, according to Nsengiyera. “She recently told primary school pupils that the North Kivu massacres was a good lesson for them to learn,” Nsengiyera added. When contacted, JRS Country Director, Father Gerard Clerke said the matter was an “internal issue” which will be ironed out between JRS and United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). “I am aware of this problem and we consider it as an internal matter, which will be ironed out as soon as possible,” said Clerke. On his part, Kageyo Sector Executive Secretary, Pierre Damien Sharangabo, admitted having been notified of the allegations of ethnic division at the refugee camp. “We intend to convene a meeting, which will bring together the refugees’ executive committee, JRS, UNHCR and district officials to find a lasting solution to the problem,” said Sharangabo. Ends
