Article By:James Odziwa
More than 6,000 Mozambicans have fled to neighboring Malawi since mid-December to escape clashes between government forces and armed militants of the main opposition party Renamo, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency.
Most of the refugees are coming from the western coal-mining province of Tete, where government forces are battling armed militia of the Mozambique National Resistance, or Renamo, Tina Ghelli, UNHCR’s spokeswoman for southern Africa, said by phone on Friday from Pretoria, the South African capital.
“The number of people fleeing Mozambique has been increasing because of the clashes between Renamo and government forces,” Ghelli said. “The asylum seekers told us this.”
Almost all of the new arrivals are staying at Kapise village, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, UNHCR said in a statement on Thursday.
Mozambican government officials have visited Kapise at least three times since mid-January to discuss the possibility of returning the asylum seekers to Mozambique, according to the statement.
Malawi once again as we have done in the past hosting these refugees without thanks from Mozambique
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