From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:MOZAMBIQUE: REFUGEES RETURN TO NEW CHALLENGE OF EXPLOITATION
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 07:33:00 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: Agriculture
Title: MOZAMBIQUE: REFUGEES RETURN TO NEW CHALLENGE OF EXPLOITATION


an inter press service feature

by gil lauriciano and rachel waterhouse

maputo, dec 3 (ips) -- although peace may be gradually returning
to mozambique, refugees that fled the war-ravaged country
are more cautious about following in its wake and going home.

mozambican refugee, salamao zuculo had no choice. the south
african authorities threw him back across the frontier. despite
a peace accord signed in october to end the 17 year civil war,
which drove zuculo from his home, he still wants to leave
mozambique.

''there may be peace again, but there's still no food here
and no work'', zuculo told ips.

however, the trickle of returnees is threatning to turn
into a flood.

the peace accord between the government and mozambique
national resistance (renamo) rebels spells the start of an
enormous new challenge for mozambique, to re-integrate some two
million refugees who feld to neighbouring countries in southern
africa.

over 300,000 mozambican refugees are thought to be in south
africa -- the principal backer of renamo -- whose government has
never given them refugee status and instead prefers to deport
them.

the greatest number of mozambicans found a temporary home in
their north-western neighbour, malawi, which hosts over a
million refugees, putting pressure on the land in the relatively
small but populous country.

since the peace accord was signed, thousands of refugees
in malawi have made their way home, apparently encouraged by
recent rains after a drought which has crippled the whole
southern african region.

but malawi's ambassador in maputo, bernard kachama, said the
time is not yet ripe yet for a mass exodus. ''they should
return home with dignity, they shouldn't go home to nothing, but
preparations aren't ready yet to receive them'' he said.

however the mozambique government estimates by may next
year, some 500,000 refugees in malawi will have returned
spontaneously.

a united nations programme is being prepared to help
repatriate the refugees, both in malawi, zimbabwe, zambia and
swaziland. (more/ips)


mozambique:

director of the government 'support group to refugees',
fernando fazenda, reckons 67 million dollars are required to
cover the needs of those returning. mostly petty farmers, they
will need resettling on the land, and seeds and tools which the
impoverished government cannot afford.

''for 15 to 18 months they will also need full support in
terms of food'', added fazenda.

the mozambique they return to has been made destitute by war.
classed by the world bank as the world's poorest nation, over 60
percent of its 15 million inhabitants live in absolute poverty
while some four million people inside the country depend on
international food aid for their survival.

while the refugees were away, around half the national health
and education infrastructure was destroyed, mainly through
renamo's policy of destabalisation, along with homes and roads.

the chauque family, recent refugees in south africa, were
captured by the police just as they were planning to go home,
after three years away.

''when i get back to the village, if it still exists, i just
want my land back. the rest i can start from fresh'', said 55
year old william chauque.

the issue of land could be a fresh problem for the
returnees. in the last few years, to attract foreign investment,
the government has sold off large tracts and in several
communities people have settled on land vacated by the refugees.

in addition, there have been small but significant outbreaks
of ceasefire violations in the malawi border region. analysts
speculate that the government and renamo may be trying to
control the zones -- and the resources -- marked out by the
united nations for repatriation.

those returning from malawi are claiming that the malawian
authorities -- covert supporters of renamo during the war -- are
discouraging them from crossing the border.

cynical western aid workers in maputo suggest keeping the
refugees is useful to malawi, for attracting aid, at a time when
western donations to the country are being cut because of its
poor human rights record.

a study made recently by ken wilson of the oxford university
'refugees study programme' concludes: ''the existence of such a
policy of discouragement, and the reasons for it, can not
currently be ascertained in mozambique''. (end/ips/gl/rw/oa/92)