Ugandan refugees should live in peace with host community - minister Onek
What you need to know:
- Currently Uganda is hosting 1.3 million refugees mainly from the great lake countries of South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan and Kenya.
Uganda today joined the rest of the world to commemorate the UN World Refugee Day, with a strong call to refugees and asylum seekers to respect the country’s rules and live peacefully side by side with the host communities.
Speaking at the day’s celebrations at Nsambya Primary School playground, Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees’ minister Hillary Onek, said refugees should be peaceful by not fighting among themselves and with the people who they are living with.
“Uganda is peaceful because her citizens respect the law, they are kind and peaceful people and refugees should emulate them,” he said.
According to him, this year’s World Refugee days theme is “Uganda standing with Refugees” which reflects the efforts by the country to offer dignified asylum to refugees.
By the end of 2015, according to UNHCR, some 65.3 million people had been forcibly displaced from their homes worldwide—the highest number ever on record.
Currently Uganda is hosting 1.3 million refugees mainly from the great lake countries of South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan and Kenya.
On Friday this week, more than a dozen dignitaries including several heads of state will be meeting in Kampala for the Refugee Solidarity Summit to raise at least $2b (Shs7t) needed to extend.
