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Malawi: Country Under Fire Over Attacks On Refugees - Reports
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Rwanda News Agency/Agence Rwandaise d'Information (Kigali)
9 October 2007
Posted to the web 9 October 2007
Kigali
Malawi President Bingu Wa Mutharika has come under heavy criticism from Rwandan of opposition groups for apparently colluding with Kigali officials to crack down on opposition political asylum seekers, a local newspaper has reported.
Last week on Monday, a Rwandan refugee in Malawi Dr Jean Marie Vianney Rwabukwisi was attacked at night by unknown assailants. The attack occurred barely four weeks after Mr. Kagame met Mr. Mutharika during the inauguration of a three kilometres Paul Kagame Road in the capital Lilongwe.
The armed bandits are said to have fired several shots and rushed in Rwabukwisi's house destroying several personal belongings but nobody was neither killed nor injured.
The opposition alliance comprises of; the Rwandan Democratic Alliance, Resistance Forces for Democracy, Republican Rally for Democracy and other independent political leaders under the umbrella of UDF-Inkingi have alleged that armed under-cover government intelligence operatives from Rwanda are to blame, according to the Nyasa Times.
The groups that are no strangers to bitter attacks on the authorities in Kigali want the Malawian President to take full responsibility of the attacks on Rwandan refugees in the country.
The Malawian daily reports that the groups have appealed to the Malawian authorities to investigate Rwabukwisi's home attack and to make public their findings so that those involved are apprehended and punished according to national law and international standards.
Malawi is home to over 5,000 Rwandan refugees who are on the verge of being repatriated back home following the signing of a tripartite agreement between the governments of Malawi, Rwanda and UNHCR.
Government of Rwanda has stepped up efforts to have thousands of Rwandans living in countries across the region saying they need to return home to be part of the vigorous reconstruction process but critics argue otherwise.
Last year, Tanzania expelled up to 30.000 Rwandan refugees urging them to return following the pacification of the region. The Tanzanians say more thousands are to come amid complaints indicating some people lost their hard-earned property.
Ugandan officials are also in the spotlight following the alleged forced expulsion of about 3200 Rwandans - claims dismissed by authorities in Kampala and Kigali. Uganda actually says more 2000 still remain and will be moved into Rwanda as well.
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The UN refugee agency UNHCR has been keen to distance itself from the controversial repatriation saying the affected refugees were not under its jurisdiction.
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