At the start of 2019, South Kivu province hosted 41,055 Burundian refugees located in Lusenda camp (29,154), Mulongwe settlement (6,662), and the rest in host families outside of camps. Due to the complex political situation in their country, Burundian refugees showed little appetite for voluntary repatriation. However, the number of new arrivals fell to 2,049 in 2018 (against 6,592 the previous year). Overall numbers were subject to a slight increase throughout 2019, leading to a planning figure of 47,000 individuals at the end of December.
Prospects for 2020 are extremely unpredictable, as presidential elections are planned for that year in Burundi. This election is likely to be a turning point for Burundian refugees in the region: should it unfold peacefully and bring stability, it is likely that large numbers will choose to return to their country in 2020 or 2021. If, however, the elections and its aftermath bring fresh unrest, the DRC may face a new influx of Burundian refugees. The DRC operation therefore needs to be prepared for both options: either significant numbers of voluntary returns, or mass new arrivals. This will call for flexibility and up-to-date contingency plans to be coordinated with all relevant stakeholders.
For those refugees who will stay in the DRC, the main priorities will be to promote self-reliance and peaceful coexistence, based on a strong engagement of refugees and local communities; to advocate for and support the DRC authorities in their efforts to uphold the civilian character of asylum, with a focus on projects targeting young refugees at risk of forced recruitment or sexual exploitation; and to broaden the range of partners engaged in the response, looking in particular towards development and stabilization actors.
Burundian refugees who live in Lusenda camp and Mulongwe settlement are integrated into local social and community-based structures, such as schools and health centers. A self-reliance strategy is in place for them, focusing mainly on agricultural projects, fisheries and other income-generating activities. In Mulongwe settlement, which was set up in late 2017 along UNHCR’s out-of-camp model, refugees are responsible for building their own shelters, latrines and showers, benefitting from assistance in raw materials and technical and financial support. Conditional cash transfers or vouchers are provided to refugee households in Mulongwe settlement to support shelter, latrines and shower construction and the payment of school fees. In Mulongwe, every household was equipped in 2018 with an MPesa mobile money account to receive cash assistance and enhance access to financial services. The same is being considered for Lusenda in 2019.
UNHCR will continue to explore ways to promote the self-reliance of Burundian refugees in 2020, starting with those living in Mulongwe. In particular, UNHCR will commission a study to explore the potential for refugees in Mulongwe to gradually become autonomous from WFP food assistance. This process is likely to take longer, and will require the further relocation of refugees from Lusenda camp, where their concentration compared to the local population is much higher.
DRC authorities are limiting the provision of assistance to Burundian refugees living in camps or in organized settlements. Burundian refugees who live in communities face similar problems as the local population, including forced displacement, weak governance, limited availability of/access to basic services, and a lack of opportunities for employment/income-generating activities. For these refugees, the priority will be to ensure their inclusion in the provincial development plan, and to work with humanitarian, development and stabilization actors to orient their actions towards communities with large refugee numbers. In 2020, UNHCR will attempt to implement joint UNDP/UNHCR projects under the “New Way of Working” in communities in South Kivu with large numbers of refugees, IDPs and returnees; improve the peaceful co-existence between refugees and host communities through sports.