The Malawi Government on Monday repatriated 32 Burundians who had volunteered to go back to their country following the return of peace in that country.

This is the fifth convoy and it brings the total number of refugees who have voluntarily returned to their respective countries to 309.

The 32 Burundians were escorted to the Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) by senior officials from the Department of Refugees in the Ministry of Homeland Security.

Speaking in Chichewa garnished with loose parables, a representative of the returnees, Erson Ndagijimana, said he was excited to go back to his country.

“Kuno ku Malawi ndinabwera mu January 2019 ndipo ndaphunzira zinthu ziwiri olo zitatu. Ndaphunzira kulima, kuchita bizinesi ndi zina. Ndikapita kwathu, ndikaptiriza kugwira ntchito ya ulimi komanso bizinesi [I came to Malawi in January 2019 and I have learnt a number of trades during my stay here. Among them, I have learnt farming, business management and others. I will continue doing farming and business when I get back to my country,” he said.

Ndagijimana urged other Burundians to consider returning to their country, arguing that now that peace has returned to Burundi, there was no reason why his fellow kinsmen should continue living at Dzaleka Refugee Camp.

The Senior Administrative and Operations Manager, Hilda Katema-Kausiwa, disclosed that since the department started the repatriation exercise, more refugees have been expressing interest to return to their countries.

Katema-Kausiwa said the department will continue working in collaboration with other partners, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in providing safe repatriation to refugees who volunteer to return.