A deadline expires on Wednesday for almost 1,000 refugees from Namibia, who fled to neighbouring Botswana over 20 years ago, to agree to voluntary repatriation.

The Botswana authorities say they intend to go ahead with repatriating displaced people who originate from Namibia's Caprivi Strip, following a longstanding agreement supervised by the United Nations refugee agency.

About 3,000 people from the Caprivi Strip fled to Botswana in the 1990s during a secessionist uprising.

Most have since returned. Amnesty International urged Botswana not to repatriate the remainder by force if a real risk remained that they would face persecution.