Hometruths for EA summit on IDPs, refugees

Efforts by the African Union to end displacement and refugee crises on the continent have been frustrated by lack of political will.

The continent has 11 million of the world’s estimated 25 million internally displaced people, and 17 million refugees. 

According to the UNHCR and the AU Commission, African leaders are reluctant to end poor governance, abuse of human rights and conflicts that have displaced millions of people.  

Poor attendance by politicians at last week’s AU special Summit on Refugees, Returnees and IDPs in Kampala has cast doubts on the commitment of African leaders to end the refugee and IDPs crisis. 

At the summit, a landmark convention for protection of IDPs was adopted.

But it was seen as a ploy by some countries to suspend ratification of the African Charter on democracy, elections and governance.

Only two countries have signed and ratified the charter.

Failure by the AU to mobilise sufficient resources to tackle the refugee crisis has left many questions begging for answers. 

The AU says it depends on donor funds to fulfil its mandate to protect refugees and IDPs. It has appealed to member states to contribute to the AU Special Refugee Contingency Fund so that it can raise more resources. 

But it is unlikely that African countries will embrace such an obligation, considering that there is little political will. 

For instance, no Head of State of any of the countries worst hit by the refugee and IDPs crises attended the Kampala Summit.

These countries include Rwanda, Burundi, the DR Congo and Sudan.

Critics say implementation of the African Union Convention for the protection and assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa will be difficult unless politicians join in.

Even the AU Commission agrees that its efforts will not yield positive results unless African leaders commit themselves to the established obligations. 

“The sad reality is that population displacement will be with us for a while, but it would be sad if we do not act individually and collectively on the common challenges that we face,” said Ms Julia Dolly Joiner, Commissioner for Political Affairs at the AU. 

Most African States are also not eager to ratify the African Charter on democracy, elections and governance on IDPs.

The charter is a legal instrument that spells out a number of obligations that countries should honour.

The AU Commission, however, says it will promote the charter through civil society and national parliaments.  

There was also intense debate on some of the provisions in the Convention, which demand that African States make national laws to protect IDPs under international law.

This would ensure provision of humanitarian assistance and rule out arbitrary displacement of people. 

The debate centered on ending support to armed groups, and to holding them responsible for the refugee and IDPs crisis. Several countries did not want the provision included.

“We deplore and call for an end to external interference such as the support for mercenaries and sponsoring of armed groups that have fuelled conflict in Africa,” African countries said in their declaration.

By contrast, IDPs remain at the mercy of their government, which may view them as enemies of the state.

They may also fall prey to rebels and militias operating inside or outside the camps. 

Signatories are mandated to protect the human rights of IDPs and prevent war crimes, arbitrary killing and detention, abduction, torture, rape, slavery and recruitment of child soldiers. 

Very broadly, the convention obliges states to prevent displacement, to protect IDPs and to provide durable solutions. 

They must establish a legal framework to provide compensation where appropriate for damages and losses incurred as a result of displacement.  

The soft approach taken by some countries towards refugees also deepened a rift between them and those countries from which the refugees fled. 

For instance, Rwanda has in the past proposed forceful repatriation of its refugees, saying they are a threat to the Kigali government. 

But prior to the Kampala Summit, President Yoweri Museveni called for a multi-model system of managing refugees and IDPs through academic and vocational training.  

“Urban integration is better than horizontal involvement of refugees in the rural areas. Rural settlements can lead to conflicts with local communities. Refugees must be supported to learn skills to avoid conflicts with locals over agricultural land,” he said.

This soft attitude towards refugees in Uganda has pitied President Museveni against some neighbouring countries.

The Ugandan leader says access to land has increasingly become an issue, especially due to high population growth. He asked officials of his government to plan for industrial cities to manage refugees. 

“Keeping people in camps is not part of our tradition. Why can’t we think of refugees outside agriculture, because land will not always be there? We should let urban industrial centres develop where refugees can gain skills and get jobs,” he said. 

Uganda’s Minister for Refugees and Disaster Preparedness, Tarsis Kabwegyere, said the Summit was an opportunity to set a new agenda on how member countries can help one another.