UN General Assembly
1989

Steps have been taken to organize the return of the refugees who left their motherland. Those steps have been taken in close co-operation with the other member countries of the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries - Zaire and Rwanda - and with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, At the beginning the return to the fold was slow, because of fear and unhappy memories of what had happened, but it has now become spontaneous and massive. Over 98 per cent of the refugees had returned by the end of May this year, confounding all the forecasts and proving to the whole world that Burundi is always capable of doing its best. It is undoubtedly an example of success very rare in the voluntary repatriation of refugees anywhere in the world. The repatriates, welcomed as Burundi citizens, have been resettled on the lands they left. As soon as they were resettled they were invited to be involved in our national unity and to live in the understanding and solidarity that have always characterized Burundi society.