By Ray Naluyaga<\/p>\n
Tanzania has denied claims that its recent expulsion of illegal immigrants from the country\u2019s Kagera region targeted Rwandans because of the souring in relations between the two countries. Director of Communications at Tanzania\u2019s State House Salva Rweyemamu said the move was directed at all illegal immigrants in the region\u00a0and not Rwandans alone.<\/p>\n
On July 29, President Jakaya Kikwete gave a two-week ultimatum to illegal immigrants to leave the region, a development that has resulted in a bitter war of words between Kigali and Dar es Salaam.<\/p>\n
In an interview with The EastAfrican, Mr Rweyemamu said President Kikwete\u2019s orders, given at the end of a five-day tour to inspect development projects in the region, were prompted by complaints from villagers over acts of armed robbery, bus attacks and kidnaps attributed to illegal immigrants in the area.<\/p>\n
In an interview with The EastAfrican, Mr Rweyemamu said President Kikwete\u2019s orders, given at the end of a five-day tour to inspect development projects in the region, were prompted by complaints from villagers over acts of armed robbery, bus attacks and kidnaps attributed to illegal immigrants in the area.<\/p>\n
He added that the ultimatum was to run concurrently with the surrender of illegal arms; by Thursday, some 60 guns had been surrendered.<\/p>\n
He said government officials also weighed in, saying the number of illegal immigrants, estimated at 52,000 in Kagera alone, had overstretched the government\u2019s ability to offer services to its people.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn almost every village the president stopped, he received these complaints, leaving him with no choice but to protect the interests of his people,\u201d said Mr Rweyemamu, who accompanied the president during the tour.<\/p>\n
He said the ultimatum expired on August 12 and the operation to remove illegal immigrants was expected to start any time from now. It will involve security forces and the military. It will be humanitarian and intended to help those who cannot go back to their countries to do so.<\/p>\n
FDLR ‘a closed matter’<\/p>\n
Mr Rweyemamu denied relations between the countries had been affected by the bitter exchange of words following President Kikwete\u2019s May 26 remark urging Rwanda to seek talks with the Democratic Forces for Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a remnant Hutu militia group that is based in eastern DR Congo.<\/p>\n
\u201cInternally, we have no problem with any country. Rwanda and Tanzania remain two friendly countries, the borders of the two countries and diplomatic channels are open, and we continue to communicate as usual,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Rweyemamu insisted that as far as Tanzania is concerned, President Kikwete\u2019s comments on talks between the Rwandan government and FDLR are a closed matter.<\/p>\n
Giving statistics, he said so far 8,500 immigrants have returned to their countries voluntarily, of which 5,521 returned to Rwanda, 2,744 returned to Burundi and another 244 went to Uganda.<\/p>\n
The country hosts refugees and immigrants from all over sub-Saharan Africa: from Mozambique, Angola, South Africa and Democratic Republic of Congo.<\/p>\n
He added that the country first offered amnesty to Rwandans who fled their country during the first genocide in 1959 to apply for citizenship. However, he was surprised that 50 years down the line, there were still people who lived in the country illegally despite several other amnesties issued after that.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring this administration another offer was made, 160,000 immigrants took it up and applied for citizenship, others chose not to; nobody should live in any country without going through immigration procedures and channels,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n