Dundo - The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) plans to carry out in July, a new voluntary and organised repatriation process of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) settled in Angola’s north-eastern Lunda Norte Province.
The information was disclosed Tuesday by the head of the UNHCR in Lunda Norte, Chrispus Tebid, during the World Refugee Day celebration, marked on 20th June.
The official stressed that a survey is being carried out in the settlement to assess the real number of refugees planning to return to their country and those who intend to stay.
Mr Tebid said the repatriation process will be conducted by the organisation and Angola and the DRC governments, having praised the support of the Angolan Executive towards the socio-economic reintegration of the refugees.
In May 2017, an initial group of 35,000 DRC citizens arrived in Lunda Norte Province, fleeing acts of violence in Kassai area, a crisis that led to the declaration of an emergency situation.
Currently, the UNHCR controls 6,506 refugees in Lóvua camp and 2,826 in the Dundo City, while the remaining number have been repatriated.HD/Amp/jmc
