Dukwe refugees fear persecutionThe petitioners say they will continue with their protest at the regional body''s head office until they are assured that it will intervene in their standoff with the Namibian government. Seeking SADC intervention A group calling itself ''Caprivi women and children in Botswana'' living in the Dukwe refugee camp in that country last week demanded that SADC intervenes in the political standoff between the Namibian government and proponents of the secession of the Zambezi Region, formerly known as the Caprivi Strip, from this country.The group of women started a sit-in at the SADC headquarters at around 06:00 on Monday last week and vowed to remain there for two weeks until the regional body concedes to their demand for intervention.
The women had travelled from Dukwe to Gaborone to petition SADC''s executive secretary, Dr Stergomena Lawrence-Tax.
There are an estimated 1 000 Namibians living in the Dukwe refugee camp after the suppression of the secessionist attempt in 1999. The women who are sitting in at the SADC headquarters claim there are more than 300 children that were born in the camp.
The protesters have asked that SADC emulate the African Commission on Human and People''s Rights by asking that the Namibian government to “respect the rights of the Caprivian people” and to resolve allegations of human rights violations, including the Namibian state''s alleged “illegal occupation” of the region.
They are asking that SADC create a platform where the political stalemate on the matter can be resolved in a peaceful manner, alleging continued torture, forced disappearance and political, social and cultural humiliation at the hands of the Namibian government.
The women''s sit-in comes after the Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration, Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, met with a delegation from the Botswana government in Katima Mulilo in August to discuss the resumption of the repatriation of the Dukwe refugees.
The two governments had set December last year as a cut-off date for these refugees to voluntarily repatriate to Namibia. This was set aside when one of the refugees sought an interdict from the High Court in Botswana that they may not be deported to Namibia for fear of persecution here. The refugees in their petition to Lawrence-Tax say that the three-pronged agreement between the two governments – voluntary repatriation, local integration or deportation back to Namibia – was reached without their input.
“We are not going to Namibia through voluntary repatriation nor will we go for forced resettlement. We are also not interested in local integration but we want a solution to our problem so that we can return home in peace, having peace of mind, dignity and restoration of our broken humanity,” the women say in their petition to SADC.
Catherine Sasman