http://www.bnltimes.com/index.php/daily-times/headlines/national/3064-dead-ethiopians-dumped-in-lake-malawi
Dead Ethiopians dumped in Lake Malawi .
Wednesday, 21 December 2011 16:55 Karen Msiska .
Twelve Ethiopians believed to have been illegally crossing into the
country via Lake Malawi from Tanzania were dumped in the lake after
dying of hunger, police have said quoting the other illegal entrants.
About 106 Ethiopians set off for Malawi on boats in what is a sign of
desperation to get out of a volatile Horn of Africa region and hope in
Malawi but only 94 were intercepted by police at Sanga in Nkhata Bay
Monday night.
"The dead bodies were dumped in the lake randomly as they did not die
at the same time," said Nkhata Bay police spokesperson Martin Bwanali
in an interview on Tuesday.
He said the 94 have been charged with illegal entry into the country
contrary to Section 21(36) of the Immigration Act, and that figure
takes the number of illegal entrants arrested around the area to 183
over the past week.
He said police have also arrested a Malawian identified as 36-year-old
William Banda from Chanthomba Village in TA Mankhambira's area on
suspicion that he has been coordinating movement of the illegal
entrants by providing them with information on security presence on
docking areas.
"Our investigations indicate that the boat the group was travelling on
was dumped on the lake after those operating them got information that
police officers were waiting for them in the area," added Bwanali.
"We arrested Banda and told him to keep telling the group to dock but
they responded by saying that they had information that he had been
arrested. The transporters dumped them and are believed to have
returned to Tanzania."
He said the group was met by some fishermen who noticed that the group
could not converse in English or any local language and pulled their
boat to land.
Banda has been charged with aiding and abetting human trafficking.
Police say most illegal entrants are now taking advantage of Tukombo's
closeness to the hills and the lake which allows them to quickly get
into the bushy hills after docking. Police arrested 89 of them in the
area last week.
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Received on Thu Dec 22 2011 - 10:20:33 EST