“I do not know the real cause of war. It has been ongoing for so many years”, says a Congolese refugee.
Congo. A vast country. Lots of minerals. Illegal exploitation of natural resources. Many tribes. Tribal war for decades. War is part of Congolese’s past and present. Guns, bullets, killings, chopping of bodies and violence. Fear, torture, rape, sacking, prison, child soldiers, forced recruitment.
Kyaka II. A refugee settlement. Set up in 1967. 81 km2. More than 15.000 refugees. Western Uganda. 9 zones, each with 4-6 villages. 5 primary schools. 90% of the refugees are from Congo.
Bare houses. No windows. No bed. No mattress. No chair. No table. No food. No electricity. No water. Sometimes a calendar or a poster on the wall. 1 or 2 pieces of clothes.
Strong people. Fled from war. Ran away at gunpoint. Suffered torture, bad and inhuman treatment. Escaped. Walked for days without any personal belongings to cross a border in the hope of safety. Lost members of the family. Had to leave them behind. Miss the relatives and friends.
People who have no option but to rely on foreign aid. Granted a small piece of land in Uganda. Barely able to live out of subsistence. Policies that do not help them to become self-reliant. Bad treatment for some, a safe heaven for others. Hoping to return to their country of origin. Simply willing to live in peace. Wishing to be re-settled to another country.
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