KAMPALA, Feb. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- A total of 482 Rwandan refugees have been repatriated from Uganda by The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), according to an official with the Ministry of Refugees and Disaster Preparedness of Uganda.

    Douglas Asimwe told Xinhua by telephone on Friday that these refugees, who have opted to go back home voluntarily, were repatriated on Thursday from Nakivale and Orichinga refugee settlement areas in western Uganda.

    He noted that since last year about 3,000 Rwandan refugees havebeen voluntarily repatriated to Rwanda.

    He however said that there are some refugees who have were repatriated but have now come back to Uganda fearing that they will be persecuted.

    He said Uganda, Rwanda and UNHCR are working out measures of how these refugees can be reintegrated in the society after they returned home.

    Asimwe noted that there is a sensitization campaign of informing the refugees that the situation in Rwanda has improved.

    Southwestern Uganda is home to nearly 20,000 Rwandan refugees,many of whom fled their country during the 1994 genocide in Rwandawhich left some 800,000 people dead. Enditem