Tension as first Namibian refugees deported

Mbongeni Mguni | Tuesday September 17, 2019 14:36

 

The 94 refugees were part of a group of 134 taken from the Dukwi Refugee Camp to FCII last week, as part of the deportation exercise. The group at FCII allegedly includes those seen as the ‘ringleaders’ of the refugees’ long running resistance campaign against forced repatriation back to the motherland. 

Initially about 3,000 refugees, including combatants, fled secessionist violence in Namibia’s Caprivi Strip in 1998 to settle at Dukwi. Many returned to Namibia, but the 1,000+ group has remained behind citing fear of persecution and even torture by Namibian authorities.  The group is also fighting against the recognition of its political party by Namibia. 

Government won a July Court of Appeal decision recently and subsequently stripped the ‘Caprivians’ of their refugee status, clearing the way for forced deportation. 

This morning, witnesses described an atmosphere of tension as members of the police Special Support Group accompanied immigration trucks to FCII, then Dukwi from where the refugees were whisked away in the direction of Nata. 

A video circulated on social media showed the convoy of two immigration trucks and the SSG officers leaving Dukwi in a swirl of dust at high speed, as other refugees whistled and ululated, with some chasing behind the vehicles. 

An unverified list of today’s deportees seen by Mmegi suggests the group included Tyson Mujela, a prominent member of the refugees who was the lead applicant in their recent Court of Appeal case. 

The list includes 37 people under the age of 15, with the youngest being a year old and the oldest on the list, 81. It is alleged that some of those deported today include students who were recently withdrawn from school, although this could not be confirmed by press time. 

The refugees’ outspoken leader, Felix Kakula was not among those deported today. Kakula, however, was among the first arrested in the group of 134, being forcibly carried out of Dukwi by police last week after he resisted their orders. 

The list of deportees appears to target men who are called ‘focal points’, with other refugees categorised simply as ‘wife’, ‘son’, and ‘daughter’.  The Namibian, a major newspaper in that country, recently ran an article quoting that country’s Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration, Frans Kapofi as saying while there would be no persecution of the returnees, there was a ‘wanted list’ for perpetrators of the 1998 disturbances. 

“We have made it very clear that we do not intend to arrest those who have no questions to answer.  There are probably only five people who are still on the wanted list, but those are not part of the larger group, which is coming,” The Namibian quoted him as saying, without elaboration. 

Besides fears of persecution in Namibia, the refugees and rights groups have raised questions about the status of some of the people being deported.  It is believed of the 1,000+ are about 269 born in Botswana and 52 with citizen mother or father. 

Meanwhile, the operation powers on with sources indicating that another batch of refugees was destined for deportation on Thursday.

“We do not know if the next batch of deportees will be taken to Dukwi or to FCII before the repatriation, but we have heard that the deportation will be on Thursday.

“It is said 40 people who are still at FCII will also be among those who will be deported on Thursday,” an insider at Dukwi said.

It is expected that the entire repatriation exercise will probably last a week.