Rights group wants Malawi to decline Rwanda’s offer to train police
The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives said it was concerned about reports of human rights violations linked to the excessive use of force by Rwanda’s law enforcing agencies, as well as unlawful and arbitrary detentions, internet restrictions by the state and a lack of freedom of expression.
RUSTENBURG, July 28 (ANA) – Rwanda is not a proper candidate to train Malawi police due to its human rights record, the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has said.
According to Malawi media reports, Rwandan Inspector General of Police Dan Munyuza on Monday told his Malawi counterpart George Kainja that his country was ready to train police officers in Malawi.
In a statement released on Tuesday, CDEDI executive director Sylvester Namiwa said there were reports of human rights violations linked to the excessive use of force by Rwanda’s law enforcing agencies, as well as unlawful and arbitrary detentions, internet restrictions by the state and a lack of freedom of expression in the East African country.
Human rights activists and opposition political party leaders were also being silenced through arbitrary arrests and imprisonment based on trumped-up charges, he added.
“Obviously, Rwandan police are taking centre-stage in this gloomy picture,” Namiwa said, adding that the proposed training offer from Rwanda confirmed CDEDI’s fear that a recent Malawi government directive to relocate all refugees and asylum seekers to the Dzaleka refuge camp was politically motivated.
“CDEDI, is further worried with the offer, which has come at a time … Rwanda is busy hunting down some of its nationals who have sought political asylum in various countries, including Malawi. We would like to challenge the Malawi government to tread carefully with these newly-found good Samaritans,” he added.
Local media quoted Rwanda’s police boss Munyuza as saying there was no longer a need for his country’s citizens to seek refuge in Malawi as their home nation was now safe enough for them to return.
News website Malawi24 reported that Malawi’s police chief Kainja had assured all refugees and asylum seekers that they were free to choose whether to return to their home countries, or continue living in Malawi for as long as they wanted.
Namiwa said it was important to point out that a large percentage of the refugees that fled Rwanda were victims of political persecution and infringements of basic human rights.
“Much as we respect Inspector Munyuza’s sentiments that he sees no reason for his countrymen and women to continue coming to Malawi as refugees and asylum seekers, reports from Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the department of state of the United States … show things to the contrary,“ he added.
– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa