Reports from Kagera indicate that each district has received its money ready to mount operations that will flush out immigrants from the region.
Defence and Security committees have been meeting in each district to hatch their plan, while police and army vehicles have been passing through villages. One peasant of Rwandan origin said he would start sleeping in forest like a waterbuck. "My wife and children are Tanzanians, they will not be touched, I am going to shift to bushes, that is where I will be sleeping until the operations ends," he told this blog.
Nyerere v Kikwete polices
Immigrants have historically crossed into Kagera to escape population pressure and hunger from the neighbouring countries, others came as refugees and stayed. "In 1984 Mwalimu Nyerere came to Bukoba, he was received and had a green scarf wrapped around his neck by a youth wing boy. Then he addressed a rally at Kaitaba Stadium, where he received a barrage of complaints from indigenous people that wanyarwanda should be kicked out. There were so many Wanyarwanda refugees then," one elderly woman said.
She added: "After hearing the complaints, he said Rwanda has no land, they should tolerate their neighbours. He said even wazanaki (his tribe) once suffered xenophobia, saying hence the name Wazanaki (What have they come with?)."
But almost 30 years down the road Kikwete came back and received similar complaints. he immediately and furiously ordered a scotching earth operation, saying the problem has grown because of corrupt immigration officers and village leaders. He issued a two-week ultimatum.
But immigrants are also blaming Kagame for triggering this, saying their plights started after he differed with kikwete on the issues of FDLR.
Saturday in the deadline, and the situation is extremely tense.
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