Malawi is a landlocked country in southern Africa, home to about 50,000 refugees and asylum seekers, mostly from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Rwanda. They live in the Dzaleka refugee camp, located about 50 km from the capital, Lilongwe. The camp was established in 1994 and has been facing overcrowding, lack of basic services and security issues for years.
The Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi is one of Africa’s largest. For the last three decades, it has been a haven for refugees and asylum seekers fleeing from political instability and violence in their home countries. The Malawian government’s partnership with INUA Advocacy granted the group access to the camp to scrutinize the human rights situation. However, the recent termination of this partnership raises eyebrows at the already deteriorating situation in the refugee camp.
In March 2023, the Malawian government gave a directive to enforce its encampment policy, which ordered all refugees in cities, villages, or towns outside the camp to return. In May, the police began rounding up thousands of refugees across Malawi, temporarily detaining and forcefully relocating them back to the Dzaleka camp.
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As expected, not long after, the forceful relocations birthed numerous challenges in the camp, such as out-of-school children due to overcrowded schools and the shortage of food, shelter, water, health services, and sanitation facilities.
The Dzaleka refugee camp was initially meant to host 12,000 people but currently accommodates around 50,000. And despite President Lazarus Chakwera’s promise in June to improve the living conditions of the refugees in the camp, there has been no significant progress.
In this context, a refugee-led organization called INUA Advocacy emerged in 2018, with the aim of promoting the rights and dignity of refugees in Malawi. INUA means “to uplift” in Swahili, and that is what the group has been doing through various initiatives, such as providing legal aid, education, health care, livelihoods and psychosocial support to the camp residents.
INUA also advocates for the inclusion of refugees in the national development agenda and the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees, which calls for more responsibility-sharing and durable solutions for refugees.
However, INUA’s work has not been welcomed by the Malawian authorities, who have accused the group of being illegal, unregistered and disruptive. On November 15, 2023, the government issued a notice to INUA, ordering them to cease their operations and vacate the camp within seven days.
The notice claimed that INUA was violating the Refugee Act of 1989 and the NGO Act of 2001, and that their activities were inciting violence and unrest among the refugees. The notice also warned that any failure to comply would result in legal action and deportation.
INUA has denied these allegations and challenged the notice in court, arguing that it violates their constitutional rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly. They have also appealed to the international community, especially the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), to intervene and protect them from harassment and intimidation.
INUA claims that they have been operating legally and transparently, with the consent and participation of the refugees themselves, and that they have been contributing to the humanitarian response and social cohesion in the camp.
The case of INUA is not an isolated one. It reflects a broader trend of shrinking civic space and increasing hostility towards civil society organizations in Malawi and other countries in the region. It also raises serious questions about the role and rights of refugees as active agents of change, rather than passive recipients of aid.
How can refugees exercise their voice and agency in a context where they are marginalized, discriminated and criminalized? How can they access justice and accountability when their rights are violated? How can they participate in finding solutions to their own displacement?
Taliban regime in Afghanistan is systematically violating the human rights of women and girls
A UN report has revealed that the Taliban regime in Afghanistan is systematically violating the human rights of women and girls, especially those who have been subjected to domestic violence, forced marriage, or sexual abuse. According to the report, many of these women and girls are being sent to prison or detention centers, where they face further abuse, torture, or even death.
The report, based on interviews with 77 women and girls who were detained by the Taliban between August and November 2023, documents a range of violations, including:
- Arbitrary arrest and detention without due process or legal representation
- Physical and psychological violence, including beatings, electric shocks, and threats of execution
- Sexual violence, including rape, forced pregnancy, and forced abortion
- Denial of basic needs, such as food, water, health care, and hygiene
- Forced labor and exploitation
- Restrictions on communication, education, and freedom of movement
- Discrimination and stigmatization based on gender, ethnicity, or religion
The report also highlights the lack of protection and support for women and girls who are at risk of violence or persecution by the Taliban, as well as the challenges faced by humanitarian organizations and human rights defenders who are trying to assist them. The report urges the international community to take urgent action to hold the Taliban accountable for their crimes and to ensure the safety and dignity of Afghan women and girls.
The UN report is a stark reminder of the grim reality that millions of Afghan women and girls are facing under the Taliban rule. It also exposes the hypocrisy and lies of the Taliban, who have claimed to respect women’s rights and uphold Islamic values. The report shows that the Taliban are not only violating international law and human rights norms, but also betraying their own religion and culture, which honor and protect women and their dignity.
According to the report, the Taliban have imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law that severely restricts the rights and freedoms of women and girls. Women and girls are banned from attending school, working, participating in public life, accessing health care and justice, and expressing their opinions.
They are also subjected to forced marriage, sexual violence, corporal punishment, and discrimination. The report warns that these violations amount to crimes against humanity and could constitute genocide.
The report urges the international community to take urgent action to protect the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan and to hold the Taliban accountable for their atrocities. The report also calls for the establishment of a special tribunal to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of human rights violations. The report stresses that any political settlement or recognition of the Taliban must be conditional on their respect for human rights and international law.
The world cannot turn a blind eye to the plight of Afghan women and girls. They deserve justice, freedom, and dignity. They deserve our solidarity and support. We must not let them down.
The report also answers the question: What is the UN doing about this? The report outlines some of the actions that the UN has taken or plans to take to address the situation in Afghanistan. These include:
- Providing humanitarian assistance and protection to millions of people in need, especially women and girls.
- Advocating for the rights of women and girls with the Taliban and other parties and supporting local civil society organizations that work on these issues.
- Monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, and documenting cases of violations.
- Mobilizing international support and pressure for a peaceful and inclusive political process that upholds the rights of women and girls.
The report is a sobering reminder of the suffering of millions of women and girls who are living under a repressive regime that denies them their dignity and humanity. The report also challenges us to stand with them and to demand justice for them. As the report states, “The rights of women and girls are not negotiable. They are universal and inalienable.”