Food used as 'weapon' in Moz
2007-06-18 23:52
Nampula - Student refugees from the Great Lakes region living in a camp in northern Mozambique have accused authorities of starving them in order to force them to register for repatriation.
Banda Rukenza, a member of the students association living at Maratane refugee camp in Nampula province, told the daily Noticias that more than 50 members of his association were affected by recent cuts in their food subsidies.
"We now only receive (cooking) oil and mealie meal flour from the camp," said Rukenza.
He said the authorities had reduced the students' monthly allocation of sugar, meat and salt.
Rukenza alleged that the measure was taken in order to force the student refugees to register for 'voluntary' repatriation to their countries of origin.
"They have told us that we need to return to our countries of origin, but it is not all of us who are convinced that peace now prevails and we still need to finish our studies," he said.
This month, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and the International Organisation on Migration started the voluntary repatriation of refugees from Mozambique.
- SAPA