Since yesterday, the Nduta refugee camp in Tanzania has witnessed a wave of arbitrary arrests targeting Burundian refugees. Refugees report that at least five individuals were forcibly taken away in a Toyota Hilux vehicle with tinted windows, echoing past incidents of unlawful detentions.
On Wednesday, two specific cases were documented: Nduwimana Doomed, residing in Village 5/0018, and Ntibandetse Isaac, from the production zone, were both apprehended without warning. Witnesses note the striking resemblance to the July 2020 roundups in Mtendeli and Nduta, when seven refugees were similarly seized and subsequently ended up in Burundi under unclear circumstances.
This wave of detentions also recalls the recent case of Arcade Havyarimana, who was arrested in Lusenda and is currently held in Burundi. Such repeated patterns underscore the systematic targeting of Burundian refugees, raising urgent concerns about their safety, dignity, and protection under international law.
CDH/VICAR calls for immediate intervention by national authorities, the UNHCR, and international human rights bodies to halt these illegal arrests. Refugees must be protected from forced disappearances, arbitrary detention, and cross-border violations, and the international community must uphold its legal and moral obligations to safeguard vulnerable populations.
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