Botswana November 2006 |
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| Namibian refugees return home, (BOPA, 2006-11-21):-Twenty-three Namibian refugees who arrived in Botswana in 1998 were voluntarily repatriated to Namibia early Saturday morning at the Dukwi Refugee camp. The Namibians mostly from the Caprivi region and the surrounding areas sought political asylum in Botswana in 1998 after an unpleasant political situation in the region. In 1998 the people of Caprivi were involved in the mutiny with the view of separating Caprivi region from the rest of Namibia. The unpleasant political situation culminated into a massive movement of Caprivians into Botswana to seek political asylum. Since that time, the governments of Botswana and Namibia and the UNHCR have been negotiating voluntary repatriation of the Namibians. At the moment the Dukwi refugee camp hosts 1100 Namibian refugees from the Caprivi region. Present at the Dukwi refugee camp in the morning of repatriation were UNHCR officials, members of the Botswana Police as well as various representative of the Botswana government officials. Refugees based at Dukwi from other countries also came to bid the Namibians farewell. Mr Ephraim Sekeinyana, Dukwi refugee settlement commandant, said initially 26 Namibians had registered for voluntary repatriation, but on the day of departure, two of them refused to go home without advancing any reasons while one of them was reported to be employed locally. Four amongst those repatriated were terminally ill, and one of them was shivering and had difficulty in speaking clearly but was given a diabetic injection on the spot while the other three were repatriated via an ambulance. Although the Namibian president, Mr Hifikepunye Pohamba said during a press conference last year that the Namibians were free to go back home, he vowed that those who were alleged to have committed crimes would have to answer for their crimes in return. Sekeinyane said the issue had been settled and that both governments had agreed that those who had committed crimes would not be forced to go back. He said they could only go back to Namibia on their own accord. Their leader, Meshack Mogongo who came with the rest of the refugees in 1998 is reported to be in Denmark where the Government of Botswana and UNHCR resettled the issue. One of the Namibian refugees, Mr Michael Kadongo said he was happy that at last, together with his wife, would join their other children in Namibia. He said they decided to go back home on their own but indicated that they do not know what lies ahead for them in Namibia. Its better to go home than die here, he said. Kadongo and his wife were accompanied by three children all born in Botswana. We were happy in Botswana, there is food and accommodation, he said. The Namibians who were being transported in a mini bus and their belongings in a government truck were to be repatriated through the Ngoma border. | |
South African Migration Project (SAMP) - Queen's University - http://www.queensu.ca/samp |