How the Namibian refugees came to be in Botswana

Geoffrey Mwilima was also left with scars after an assault by government forces in the aftermath of the 1999 assault
Geoffrey Mwilima was also left with scars after an assault by government forces in the aftermath of the 1999 assault

Two years ago, a group of the Namibians at Dukwi Refugee Camp opened up to Mmegi Staff Writer, MBONGENI MGUNI about how they escaped from heated conflict in the Caprivi Strip in 1999, crossed the treacherous Okavango area and arrived in Botswana

Tensions had long been rising. The inhabitants of a 20-kilometre wide and 400 kilometre-long piece of paradise nestled amongst the Zambezi, Chobe, Linyanti and Okavango rivers said they were being brutally oppressed.

The Caprivi Strip wanted to be free of Namibia and residents were willing to use force to extricate themselves from “Big Brother’s” grip. The popular secessionist party in the region, the United Democratic Party (UDP) had formed a militant wing, the Caprivi Liberation Army (CLA).

Editor's Comment
GBV: The big elephant in the room

Sadly, the country seems not to have proper tools and the extent to which women and the girl-child are being abused is not adequately measured.Almost every week there are reports of women being attacked by their significant others and while men are attacked as well, women seem to be more on the receiving end.On May 24, 2023 news broke that a woman who was receiving support from the Botswana Gender-Based Violence Prevention Centre in Gaborone, was...

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