On 18 August 1997, a representative of the Malawian Government issued a statement announcing the government’s decision to repatriate refugees from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) “because there is a degree of peace and stability in the two countries.” The Malawian authorities assured AI that refugees who did not want to return would not be forcibly repatriated. All refugees, including those who indicated consent to repatriation, are to be screened, the refugges asylum claims are to be studied by a panel of protection officers of the UNHCR and Malawian government lawyers. There are indications that refugees will be questioned not only about their reasons for fearing return, but also about their involvement in the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.
