More Caprivians cross into Botswana

About 20 more Namibians from the Caprivi Strip have crossed the border into Botswana since the outbreak of an armed attack in the strip last month, joining the 1,055 other Namibian refugees in the Dukwe camp, 'The Namibian' quoted a Botswana presidential spokesman as saying. The spokesman, Andrew Sesinyi reportedly said of the 1,055 Namibians in Dukwe, 175 have applied through UNHCR to be repatriated to Namibia. However, UNHCR has since suspended the repatriation exercise following the attack on Katima Mulilo by armed secessionists, which left at least 14 people dead in its wake. The exodus of Caprivians started last October when a group of about 100 people, led by Mishake Muyongo, a former opposition party politician, crossed into Botswana and asked for political asylum claiming they feared for their lives because of their association with the pro-secessionist Caprivi Liberation Army. Meanwhile, detainees facing charges of treason and public violence in the Grootfontein Magistrate's court, following the armed attack, claimed in court on Tuesday that they were tortured while in detention. Four of the 23 accused, testifying in support of their bail application, claimed they had been assaulted either with sjamboks to their backs or rifle butts by at least three policemen after they were arrested on 4 August. Among the 23 accused is a 62-year-old father of 18 children with four wives; a principal of of a combined school; a college lecturer; an executive producer at the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation; a government driver and a teacher. At the same time, former MP Godfrey Mwilima was remanded in custody until January next year when he will appear on treason charges. Mwilima, who appeared in the Windhoek Magistrate's court last Friday, reportedly told reporters after his appearance that he was not well. "I have been permanently disabled," he reportedly said, showing bloodied, broken finger nails on his left hand. Mwilima is also reported to have suffered a broken jaw, some of his teeth were broken and the skin on his back was shredded when he was assaulted six weeks ago following his arrest. He is reportedly being held at the Windhoek Central prison in a single cell.