Prime
Kadaga tasks IGAD member states to check triggers of forced migrations
L-R: UNHCR Representative to Uganda, Mr Matthew Crentsil, Minister of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Eng Hillary Onek, Minister for East African Community Affairs, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, IGAD Head of Mission to Uganda, Ms Lucy Daxbacher and EAC Head of Labor & Immigration, Mr Stephen Niyonzima. PHOTO | FRANK BAGUMA
What you need to know:
- Ms Kadaga said that developing effective early warning mechanisms to detect and prevent triggers of forced migrations, could relieve the refugee hosting communities and donors
The Minister for East African Affairs, Ms Rebecca Kadaga has tasked East African Community member states and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to come up with mechanisms that will minimize forced migrations and refugee influxes in the region.
Speaking at the ongoing four-day IGAD/EAC high-level ministerial conference on durable solutions for refugees held at Speak Hotel Munyonyo, Ms Kadaga said that developing effective early warning mechanisms to detect and prevent triggers of forced migrations, could relieve the refugee hosting communities and donors.
"We need to re-organize and refocus management of society in the region. We have seasonal refugees, for example, the Turkana who come and stay in Uganda for a year in search of water and pasture and then go back. How do you plan for them? We need to address such problems before they explode," Ms Kadaga who doubles as the First Deputy Prime Minister said.
“We can no longer blame the colonialists for what is happening. We became independent so many years ago and we must find lasting solutions to our problems," she added.
Like other participants attending the ongoing conference, Ms Kadaga identified violent conflicts, climate change issues such as floods, drought, and changes in economic policies as some of the major triggers of displacements across the region.
Eng Hilary Onek, Minister of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees said that the EAC countries host the largest number of refugees in Africa and have been at the forefront of developing comprehensive and innovative approaches to protect and find solutions to both protracted situations and new refugee crises.
He revealed that by May 2023, there were 5 million refugees and asylum seekers and 12 million internally displaced persons hosted in the East and Horn of Africa region.
He also noted that Uganda currently hosts over 1.5 million refugees, primarily arising from violent conflicts in neighbouring countries within the IGAD and East African Community.
“Several trends have arisen which impact negatively on our ability to sustainably support our people and these factors include, limited humanitarian emergency support, increased diverse effects of climate change, limited livelihoods and job opportunities for both the refugees and host communities; and cyclical violent conflicts and wars," Eng Onek said.
Abdulmutalib Asiku, the LC 5 Chairperson of Yumbe, one of the refugee host districts in Uganda said Uganda’s open policy should be backed by consistent donor support, to reduce economic pressure on the host communities and also make sure that the refugees are comfortable.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative to Uganda, Mr Mathew Crentsil said by the end of the first quarter of 2023, only $ 113.7( about Shs 423.8b) of the $ 846 (about Shs 3.1trillion) needed to support Uganda refuges response was available, leaving a gap of $ 732.3 m(2.7 trillion).
Ms Lucy Daxbacher, the IGAD Head of Mission to Uganda admitted that Uganda is struggling with what she termed as a new displacement surge, especially from Eastern DR Congo but commended the country for being accommodative.
She noted that both IGAD and EAC are spearheading coordinated regional approaches to refugee management such as developing refugee policies with a multi-sectoral scope which includes the establishment of self-sustaining asylum institutions.
