Govt. sends water experts to Karonga to assess Katili refugee camp

Malawi government is sending water experts to Katili refugee camp in Karonga to assess the availability of both surface and ground water as some people in the district continue to reject the move to relocate 30, 000 refugees to the new camp.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security Samuel Madula said the water experts from the Department of Water and Irrigation will go to Katili next week.

“Apart from the assessment of the surface and ground water, they will also conduct an environmental impact assessment on the camp,” said Madula.

He said the decision by the government to relocate the refugees from Dzaleka in Dowa is in line with the Geneva convention to integrate refugees into communities.

But Karonga Cultural Heritage officials say the relocation of the refugees to the border district would increase crime in the district, saying most of the refugees are from Rwanda where war ended long ago.

The government has used K300 million to pave roads, bring water and electricity among others.

Concerned people from Karonga have been protesting the decision citing security concerns to their lives and businesses saying most of the people in the refugee camps are ex-soldiers, would be terrorists and dangerous criminals.

Member of Parliament for Karonga Central Frank Mwenefumbo has been in the forefront alerting government of the concerns of the people from his district.

Mwenifumbo said it was not logical for the government to impose the refugee camp on the people before seeking their views.

The decision to move the camp from Dowa to Karonga was arrived due to what the ministry said was security concerns as the camp is closer to the capital city.

Over  27 000 refugees were expected to be transferred from Dzaleka to Katili which  lies north west of Karonga, about 15 kilometres away from the boma.

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