Incisive Journalism in Cameroon: The Best of ��Cameroon Report�� (1978 � 1986)

40. Cameroon Report 12/04/1981: Africa’s Five Million Refugees

149 40 Cameroon Report 12/04/1981: Africa’s Five Million Refugees Introduction: Delegates from more than one hundred countries met in Geneva this week to discuss the issue of aid to African Refugees. In examining the plight of more than five million refugees in Africa, George Ngwa points out that perhaps the real answer to the African refugee problem is for international charitable organisations to strive more to get to the root cause of the problem such as drought and political instability. Up from three million in 1979, African refugees today number five million, which is at best a conservative estimate. They are victims of Africa’s gruesome diary of recurrent natural and man-made disasters such as drought and poor harvests, compounded by sheer neglect, mismanagement and convoluted political policies which, of late, have formed an explosive combination and sent hundreds of thousands of refugees scurrying for safety, but ironically running into almost certain death. Though half of the world so far has shown only bemused interest in African refugees, like their kin from Haiti, they received scant attention from the world press. World attention has instead gravitated towards the “boat” and “foot” people of South East Asia, making their plight more dramatic than the potentially deadly situation in Africa. With due sympathy to the plight of the “boat” and “foot” people, there were, no doubt, political considerations behind the so many United Nations convened conferences to pledge millions of dollars for South East Asian refugees. 150 Fortunately, African refugees have benefitted from the continent’s legendary hospitality. Whenever they have shown up they have been welcomed and treated not as refugees but as displaced brothers and human beings. Though some unscrupulous civil servants with the tacit approval of their governments have fed fat on relief supplies, the refugees, on the whole, have been encouraged to be self-sufficient, grow as much of their own food as they can and build improved accommodation and facilities for themselves. One of the greatest problems has arisen from nomadic refugees who often take advantage of Africa’s fluid borders to become wandering destitute instead of staying in refugee camps. This has made the provision of emergency relief supplies extremely difficult for the continent which could comfortably solve its refugee problem if this generous act of sharing with a distressed brother were not putting a strain on many rural communities who barely have enough for themselves. In this light, the just-ended United National-sponsored international conference on aid to refugees in Africa – ICARA is commendable though it should have been held years ago. With some six hundred million dollars marshalled from the nearly one hundred countries which attended, the conference has demonstrated that the international community is capable of speedy action to alleviate human suffering. The conference has also shown that the refugee problem in Africa cannot be solved by relief action alone. There must be follow-up programmes aimed at integrating refugees into new communities. The big question is whether this is feasible. Tanzania has demonstrated that the problem can be solved if 151 countries, away from the big refugee areas, offer refugees a home. Perhaps the real answer to the African refugee problem is for international charitable organisations to strive more to get to the root cause and identify situations which might give rise to people fleeing their homes. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees certainly does a good job helping victims of conflicts, but more thought ought to be given as to how the flow of refugees can be stemmed. Of all human tragedies, to be daily uncertain about the future, to wonder what will happen to your children, to be totally dependent on the charity of others is worse than degrading. George Ngwa 152 ...