FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR When I was joining IRRI in the first quarter of 2019, I could not have imagined the dynamism and shifts we would experience by the end of 2019. We changed. Simply put. At the milestone of 15 years, we determined that we needed to re- strategise and rethink IRRI, and what…
IRRI’s 2017 Annual Report highlights our work in a year of significant achievement for us, as we continued to work on our three main programmatic areas of: -identifying the violations that cause displacement and exile; -protecting the rights of those who are displaced, and -ensuring resolutions to their displacement are durable, rights respecting, safe and timely. The…
19 April 2023 I believe the drafters of the Constitutive Act anticipated scenarios similar to the one obtaining in Sudan, when they coined article 4(h). Africans can not stand by and continue to watch atrocities being committed in Sudan without taking all necessary measures to stop them. Shuvai Nyoni, Executive Director, the African Leadership…
60 years into Africa’s unity, the African Union cannot afford to sit back and watch conflict harm and affect the lives of Africans again and again. Silencing the guns and taking decisive action against autocracy, to protect African lives must be the clarion call for 21st Century Pan Africanism. Achieng Akena, Executive Director, International Refugee…
#DigitALL Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality Digitalisation is a necessary tool for progressive development as it can streamline processes, increase data, access to information and services, and spur innovation, thereby increasing efficiency, access and social progress. Access to and ownership of digital devices as well as access to the internet, can offer additional employment,…
#BreakTheBias by giving equal value and recognition to women’s voice and spaces. The International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI) is committed to equality and treating people fairly. We believe in non-discrimination and to levelling the playing field. We at IRRI, are cognisant of our duty to respond to intersectionalities within the communities we serve, ensuring cultural,…
We believe that peace is a right that should be enjoyed by everyone, and that efforts at consolidating peace can ultimately contribute to “recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world”, especially amidst the global COVID-19 Pandemic. While refugees in Uganda have experienced some level of harmonious relations, with different ethnicities co-existing alongside host communities,…
IRRI has teamed up with researcher Andreas Muff Kristiensen to produce a series of articles on Self-reliance for Refugees that delve deeper into the notion of self-reliance, and explore what it has meant in both policy and practice in refugee responses in Uganda. There are lessons to be learned from the Ugandan government which has…
We, at International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI), stand united with displaced and stateless persons. We believe that no one should be left behind, particularly in times of great hardship such as those currently being experienced around the world due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Especially in resource-poor contexts, displaced and stateless persons struggle to access the…
Refugees living in Libya are at risk of many human rights violations, including detention, abduction, physical abuse and forced labour. It is also very difficult for them to meet basic needs such as food, shelter and healthcare. As a result, many have tried to escape from the country by boat, a journey which often ends…
Heightened tension between Francophones and Anglophones has led to multiple clashes that have transgressed into atrocities in Cameroon. Initiatives by the Cameroonian government to resolve the Anglophone crisis appear to be futile[1]. With this blog, we intend to raise more awareness about the atrocities occurring in Cameroon. As such, we appeal to the international community…
We at the International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI) #ChoosetoChallenge a world where displaced women continue to bear the brunt of conflict, mal-governance and exclusion. Displaced women and girls are most at risk for sexual and gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and abuse, and are disproportionately affected by the corollaries of poverty and scarcity, even in the…
Heightened tension between Francophones and Anglophones has led to multiple clashes that have transgressed into atrocities in Cameroon. Initiatives by the Cameroonian government to resolve the Anglophone crisis appear to be futile. With this blog, we intend to raise more awareness about the atrocities occurring in Cameroon. As such, we appeal to the international community…
Introduction After decades of conflict and violence, the Great Lakes region of Africa remains one of the areas of the world most affected by forced displacement. Currently, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Central African Republic (CAR), Burundi and South Sudan are among the global top ten countries of origin of refugees, but every…
Summary of the research on the dynamics of refugee and IDP returns and reintegration in Burundi The research took place in the provinces of Bujumbura, Cibitoke and Muyinga between 14 January and 20 April 2020, the start date of campaigns for presidential, legislative and municipal elections in Burundi. Research Topic: The Return Dynamics of Refugees…
(30 September 2020) The research took place in the provinces of Bujumbura, Cibitoke and Muyinga between 14 January and 20 April 2020, the start date of campaigns for presidential, legislative and municipal elections in Burundi. Research Topic: The Return Dynamics of Refugees and IDPs in the Provinces of Bujumbura, Cibitoke and Muyinga. The research focused…
A Study of Eritreans forced from Saudi Arabia to East Africa IRRI Policy Paper Series Forced Migration Gulf to Africa Sept 2020 Millions of the foreign nationals who live and work in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states hail from repressive or conflict-affected countries, and yet their situation rarely features in discussions about forced migration…
People seeking safety are trapped at borders across Eastern Africa due to COVID-19 measures A coalition of international, national, and refugee-led organizations in the Horn, East and Central Africa (HECA) have today called on governments in the region to reopen borders for asylum seekers. The organisations are calling on governments to put in place measures…
IRRI Press Statement on World Refugee Day 2020 20 June 2020 is World Refugee Day. This year’s theme is Everyone can make a difference. Every action counts. Refugees can and do make a difference in the host communities where they seek refuge, and their actions count. This is most evident globally, where we have seen…
Issue 112, May 2020 ISSN 2049-2650 Editorial Team: Nejla Sammakia, Christian Jorgensen, Cristina de Nicolás Izquierdo, Nicolas Parent, Taylor Brooks, Sirak Akalu Iyassu, Lucia Slot, Adam Severson, Nastassja White, Lena Ellen Becker, Muchengeti Hwacha, Saskia Llewellyn and Rosa da Costa. Chief Editor: Fiona McKinnon Web links are in blue. In this issue: Articles & Short…
12 February 2020 marks the first anniversary of the official adoption of the African Union Transitional Justice Policy (AUTJP). This anniversary presents an excellent opportunity to reflect on the impacts of the AUTJP on the transitional justice landscape in Africa. Uganda has been particularly appluaded for taking the lead as the first AU Member…