DR Congo thanks Tanzania for supporting its refugees, pledges to address security issues

KIGOMA: THE Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation responsible for East African affairs, James Millya, has joined a delegation from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on a visit to Kigoma Region to tour refugee camps.

The DRC delegation, led by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Affairs, Humanitarian Action and National Solidarity, Eve Masudi, arrived in Kigoma and was received by the Office of the Kigoma Regional Commissioner before holding a meeting with the Regional Commissioner, Ambassador Simon Sirro.

The visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations between Tanzania and the DRC, particularly by discussing ways in which the DRC government can play a more active role in supporting its citizens living in refugee camps in Tanzania.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, Deputy Minister Millya said the visit is part of Tanzania’s efforts to uphold its international responsibilities and implement United Nations resolutions on refugees.

ALSO READ: Tanzania, DR Congo, UNHCR sign agreement to repatriate 86,256  refugees

For his part, Kigoma Regional Commissioner Ambassador Simon Sirro said the region is peaceful and that refugees are not criminals but law-abiding people who respect the host country, noting that the main challenge facing the region is crime occurring on Lake Tanganyika.

The Government of Tanzania, the Government of the DRC, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), represented by Resident Representative Barbara Bentum-Williams Dotse, emphasized the importance of respecting international law, upholding the dignity of refugees, and maintaining the commitment to voluntary repatriation despite funding challenges.

Minister Eve Masudi thanked the Tanzanian government o for its significant support to refugees from the DRC and pledged to address security issues on Lake Tanganyika, promote peace, and follow up on the implementation of the Washington Agreement, as well as explore investment opportunities between the two countries.