BUJUMBURA September 13th (ABP) – The protection of civil, political, social and cultural rights, as well as the protection of economic rights and welfare, are the two main areas of intervention of the National Reintegration Strategy (SNR) of 2017-2021 disaster victims.
The realization of civil, political, social and cultural rights protection activities will allow people returning to their original villages, settled or relocated, to live in harmony with other people in a secure and reassuring community living environment.
Among the actions planned in this area is the adoption of an appropriate national legal framework for the protection of the rights of those affected by displacement. Appropriate national legislation will need to be put in place and ratification of relevant international and regional conventions related to the rights of those affected by conflict-related displacement and other natural disasters.
According to the General Director of the reintegration of victims at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Mr. Reverien Simbarakiye, the reintegrated people have no legal framework.
Strengthening existing devices and mechanisms in the field of community safety, conflict prevention and cohesion is on the agenda of the SNR’s action plan for the consolidation of peace in the zones and communities where returnees and internally displaced persons live. It is also planned to improve access to effective devices and mechanisms for the return of housing, land and other property, as is the task assigned to the National Commission of Land and other Property (CNTB). This will be achieved through accessible mechanisms that have a legal mandate and the ability to provide reparations for the harms suffered by IDPs and returnees, including violations perpetrated by non-state actors.Today, he refers to international law, noting that a status of demobilized persons is being prepared by the police. The same is true for the displaced.
The other activity to be carried out is the improvement of access to personal and administrative documents by repatriated and internally displaced men and women (birth certificate, marriage certificate, identity card).
The action plan for the implementation of the strategy provides protection and legal assistance to victims of displacement-related human rights violations, including access to reparations and information on the causes of violations. This will include strengthening monitoring and information on the cases and causes of violations, and strengthening the efforts of judicial institutions, including those of transitional justice, to build the capacity of actors in prevention and care for vulnerable groups.
It is also envisaged to establish family reunification mechanisms for those separated by conflict or displacement, to ensure the participation of internally displaced persons and returnees in the management of community affairs and national political life and to improve physical access to areas of return to foster intercommunity relations and integration into local economies.
