Did the UNHCR-Botswana fail Caprivian detainees?
GABORONE - I would like to highlight some evasive tactics by the United Nation High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
I don't understand why the UNHCR want clarification on how come
Botswana deported the Caprivi refugees to a country where they
feared persecution.
From the outset, the office of the UNHCR knew of the plight of
Caprivians detained in Botswana prison, but did nothing to help
them.
Communications were sent to the UNHCR (Gaborone) on numerous
occasions seeking assistance, but to no avail.
Instead, the UNHCR launched a number of false accusations
against many of Caprivi's asylum seekers, which led to handicapping
their applications for refugee status.
At some stage that we could not understand, the UNHCR has turned
into a persecuting organ rather than a humanitarian one.
The UNHCR distanced itself from the Caprivi refugees and called
them criminals.
They at no point visited the refugees in prison or helped them
in any way - other than letting them rot in prison.
Today we talk of the dead Kabo Mowa and Pitros Ngoshi in the
Selibe-Phikwe State Prison.
But, when the UNHCR's liaison officer, Cosmos Chanda, visited
Dukwe refugee camp - he easily assured and created a false sense of
security for family members of the detainee-by saying rejected
refugee claimants would be resettled to a third country.
Delaying tactics and deceptions were the UNHCR-Gaborone's tools
that caused persecution.
The hypocritical nature of the UNHCR-Gaborone can be picked up
from the Botswana Centre for Human Rights that at one point
confronted the UNHCR liaison officer about a number of accusations
that were made about Caprivian refugee claimants by Cosmos
Chanda.
Its about time the UNHCR acknowledged its failure in helping the
displaced refugees and to take responsibility rather than trying to
find a scapegoat.
Don't blame Botswana or Namibia - who both gain from this UNHCR
mess when it comes to national security and the enhancement of
bilateral ties enjoyed by the two countries.
The question about these allegations is "why"? A lesson to be
learnt here is that "evil triumphs when good people sit and do
nothing".
Joseph Mulife Muchali
Namibian Refugee
Montreal, Canada
From the outset, the office of the UNHCR knew of the plight of
Caprivians detained in Botswana prison, but did nothing to help
them.Communications were sent to the UNHCR (Gaborone) on numerous
occasions seeking assistance, but to no avail.Instead, the UNHCR
launched a number of false accusations against many of Caprivi's
asylum seekers, which led to handicapping their applications for
refugee status.At some stage that we could not understand, the
UNHCR has turned into a persecuting organ rather than a
humanitarian one.The UNHCR distanced itself from the Caprivi
refugees and called them criminals.They at no point visited the
refugees in prison or helped them in any way - other than letting
them rot in prison.Today we talk of the dead Kabo Mowa and Pitros
Ngoshi in the Selibe-Phikwe State Prison.But, when the UNHCR's
liaison officer, Cosmos Chanda, visited Dukwe refugee camp - he
easily assured and created a false sense of security for family
members of the detainee-by saying rejected refugee claimants would
be resettled to a third country.Delaying tactics and deceptions
were the UNHCR-Gaborone's tools that caused persecution.The
hypocritical nature of the UNHCR-Gaborone can be picked up from the
Botswana Centre for Human Rights that at one point confronted the
UNHCR liaison officer about a number of accusations that were made
about Caprivian refugee claimants by Cosmos Chanda.Its about time
the UNHCR acknowledged its failure in helping the displaced
refugees and to take responsibility rather than trying to find a
scapegoat.Don't blame Botswana or Namibia - who both gain from this
UNHCR mess when it comes to national security and the enhancement
of bilateral ties enjoyed by the two countries.The question about
these allegations is "why"? A lesson to be learnt here is that
"evil triumphs when good people sit and do nothing".Joseph Mulife
Muchali
Namibian Refugee
Montreal, Canada