By Twink Jones Gadama
Traditional Authority Tengani of Mozambique has appealed to the Mozambican authorities to ensure the safety of asylum seekers who are voluntarily returning to their home country.
In an interview with Capital FM, Tengani emphasized the need for guarantees of safety, citing concerns that perpetrators of post-election violence still pose a threat.
Tengani’s concerns are rooted in the fact that many of the perpetrators of the violence have not been held accountable and remain at large.
Despite these concerns, Tengani and her subjects are willing to return to Mozambique, with Tengani urging them to coexist peacefully with those who inflicted trauma on them.
The Mozambican Minister of Home Affairs, Paulo Chamine, recently visited the Nyamithuthu Settlement Camp for Refugees in Nsanje, where he assured the asylum seekers of their safety upon return to Mozambique.
Chamine’s assurances come as Malawian and Mozambican authorities have launched a voluntary repatriation program for asylum seekers living at the Nyamithuthu settlement camp.
The post-election violence in Mozambique has resulted in over 2,500 households fleeing to Malawi, seeking refuge in Nsanje district.
The refugees are primarily from the Morumbara District in Mozambique and have been sheltered in makeshift camps, including the Tengani Evacuation Centre and Nyamithuthu Primary School.
The voluntary repatriation program is a joint effort between the Malawian and Mozambican governments, aimed at facilitating the safe return of asylum seekers to their home country.
The program is expected to provide a safe and dignified return for the asylum seekers, with assurances of their safety and well-being upon return to Mozambique.
