DR CONGO / SOUTH KIVU RETURNEES

Humanitarian agencies in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are urgently appealing for thirty-eight million U.S. dollars to provide life-saving assistance to some one million civilians affected by violence and insecurity in the east. The DRC remains one of the highest refugee producing countries in the world. In the late 90's, hundreds of thousands of Congolese fled to Tanzania. A decade later they are coming home - but to an uncertain future. UNHCR

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:34
• Production Date: 17 June 2009
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES - UNHCR
• Subject Topical: REFUGEES; DISPLACED PERSONS
• Geographic Subject: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
• MAMS Id: U090617d

Description

STORY: DR CONGO / SOUTH KIVU RETURNEES
TRT: 2.34
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH / SWAHILI / NATS

DATELINE: 11-16 MAY 2009, SOUTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Shotlist

14 MAY 2009, BARAKA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

1. Various shots, repatriation boat docking
2. Various shots, refugees arriving and being processed

10-13 MAY 2009, NEAR UVIRA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

2. Various shots, men measuring land
3. Wide shot, men meeting to discuss land rights
4. SOUNDBITE (French) Vincent Musafari, NGO Arche D’alliance:
“The ones who stayed here, they took over most of the land and the ones who went to Tanzania, they came back to find that their land was taken by the ones who stayed behind.”
5. Various shots, family building a house
6. SOUNDBITE (Swahili) Situmayi Katembo, returning refugee:
“The trip back was fine, but when I got here, I found my house was destroyed. I had nowhere to stay but I found a kind person who gave me a place to sleep. Then I needed to find a way to rebuild the house.”
7. Med shot, women in training courses
8. Various shots, women knitting bags for sale in the market
9. Various shots, women baking bread.
10. Various shots, Uvira market and street scenes

Storyline

The Liemba lumbers into Baraka port with its cargo of one-time refugees, now returning home to South Kivu.

They fled civil war here in the Democratic Republic of Congo and have spent the last ten years languishing in Tanzanian refugee camps on the other side of lake Tanganyika. In all, more than 350,000 Congolese fled to neighbouring countries.

While North Kivu province remains volatile, stability has returned to most of south Kivu. Since 2005 more than 78,000 Congolese have made their way back here.

But if anyone imagined that homecoming was the end of the story, they soon discover that the real picture is more complicated than that. One of the biggest problems is simply finding a place to return to.

Many have arrived here to find someone else occupying their land.

To help resolve inevitable disputes on the ground, the UNHCR works with a local NGO, Arche d’Alliance, which holds hearings and investigations to find an amicable path through competing claims for the same plot of land.

SOUNDBITE (French) Vincent Musafari, NGO Arche D’alliance:
“The ones who stayed here, they took over most of the land and the ones who went to Tanzania, they came back to find that their land was taken by the ones who stayed behind.”

Other returnees to South Kivu, like Situmayi Katembo, discover their homes destroyed. They need help to get permanent shelter.

Last year all households received a basic construction kit - tools, nails, rope – on their return. 1,879 of the most vulnerable families, like Situmayi’s, had houses built for them.

The UNHCR hopes international donors will come up with the money to build a further 1,500 desperately needed houses over the next two years.

SOUNDBITE (Swahili) Situmayi Katembo, returning refugee:
“The trip back was fine, but when I got here, I found my house was destroyed. I had nowhere to stay but I found a kind person who gave me a place to sleep. Then I needed to find a way to rebuild the house.”

Returnees are finding out, after being away for so long and after so much has changed, it is impossible just to pick up where they left off.

While many have retrained in the refugee camps, there are others with no skills to fall back on or a livelihood to come back to.

Organisations like Women to Women International are training returnees to make their own living: producing products, such as bags and bread. They also help on the business side of things, like getting their products to market.

So far more than 180,000 Congolese refugees have returned home from Tanzania, the Republic of Congo and Zambia. This year, UNHCR plans to help home a further 32,400 Congolese.

By building skills, constructing homes and providing health care the UN refugee agency is making sure returnees have a lasting future to come back to.