Malawi deports M23 rebels to Democratic Republic of Congo

Malawi has deported four M23 rebels and more than 80 other Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) nationals who entered the country illegally using unchartered roots.

Department of Immigration’s repatriation officer Vincent Chalira confirmed on Saturday that Malawian officials intercepted two separate groups of Congolese asylum seekers who attempted to illegally enter the country through Chiponde border in Mangochi district and and Songwe in Karonga respectively.

“After screening them we discovered that some of them were affiliated to the M23 rebel group. Since they entered the country illegally, we deported them back through Tanzania border,” he said.

M23 rebels have been fighting the DRC government in the east of the vast central African country since 2013.

According to Chalira, scores of asylum seekers from the DRC, Eritrea and Ethiopia have been flocking into the country which has widely been seen as a safe haven to them.

“The country’s borders are long and wide, such that people are mostly being helped by some nationals of neighbouring countries to cross into Malawi,” he said.

He said the Malawian government was planning to relocate its refugee camp from Dzaleka in Dowa district to Karonga, a district bordering Tanzania.

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