“The voluntary repatriation of Congolese refugees from Zambia to the Democratic Republic of the Congo reached a new milestone when the 15,660th returnee of 2009 left for DRC (DR Congo) by boat,” the agency's Lusaka office said.
Zambia currently hosts 34,671 Congolese refugees who mostly fled civil unrest a decade ago, with nearly 18,000 living in camps. Nearly 10,000 people were repatriated last year and more than 7,000 in 2007.
The return of the 502 refugees on Wednesday evening from northern Zambia for Moba and Kalemie in the DR Congo was marked in a ceremony attended by government officials and donors at Mpulungu harbour.
The UN refugee agency's representative in Lusaka, James Lynch described the repatriation exercise as “a success” and urged more Congolese refugees to return home before the voluntary programme ends in December.
“I call on more Congolese refugees to take advantage of the remaining days to repatriate. UNHCR stands ready to assist any Congolese refugee who comes forward to repatriate,” he said.
Loading...
Be the first to comment