Mozambican authorities have reassured thousands of refugees who fled to Malawi due to recent post-election violence that peace has been restored in their country and that they are welcome to return home.
This statement was made by officials from Mozambique’s Institute of Disaster Management Affairs during a visit to the Nyamithuthu refugee camp in Nsanje district, which hosts asylum seekers from Mozambique.
Luisa Celma Meque, the head of the Institute of Disaster Management Affairs, conveyed the message on behalf of Mozambique’s President, Daniel Francisco Chapo. She thanked the government of Malawi for its support in caring for the asylum seekers and emphasized the efforts being made to facilitate their return. “On behalf of our President, we express our gratitude to the government of Malawi for their efforts. Our second message is for our brothers here: we are doing everything we can to ensure their safe return home as soon as possible,” said Meque.
The violence, triggered by the disputed October presidential election, led thousands of Mozambicans to flee to neighboring Malawi in search of safety.
Hilda Katema Kausiwa, the senior administrative and operations manager for Malawi’s Department of Refugees, provided an update on the registration and screening of refugees. “We have registered a total of 3,640 households, representing 7,456 people,” said Kausiwa. “Registration has been completed in the Mwanza, Neno, and Mulanje districts, where additional sites were set up for screening and registration.”
Kausiwa also noted that no new asylum-seekers from Mozambique had arrived in Malawi recently.
Meque assured that peace had returned to Mozambique, though challenges remained. Malawi, grappling with food shortages caused by an El Niño-induced drought, is struggling to support the influx of refugees. Nonetheless, during their visit, the Mozambican delegation donated essential food supplies to the refugees, which included rice, maize flour, salt, and beans—critical items given the ongoing food scarcity.
Kausiwa expressed gratitude for the donation, acknowledging its importance to the refugee community, who have been facing severe food shortages since their arrival.
However, Reymond Commando, a traditional leader from the Mulili area in Mozambique, voiced concerns over the safety of returning refugees. He stated that the refugees would only consider returning once there was concrete evidence of their security. “They fled to Malawi to escape violence and threats to their lives,” Commando said. “They were chased from their homes and killed like animals.”
According to Plataforma Decide, a monitoring group, over 200 people have been killed in Mozambique since post-election protests began in October.
