Congolese repatriation statistics hit 10,000 mark

Congolese repatriation statistics hit 10,000 mark
Written by Staff Reporters
Sunday, September 06, 2009 6:55:27 PM

THE UN refugee agency has disclosed that Congolese repatriation statistics for 2009 have passed the 10,000 mark.

United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) public information assistant Kelvin Shimoh yesterday said the Congolese repatriation for 2009, recommenced in May and as of Tuesday September 1, 2009, a total of 10,128 Congolese refugees had been repatriated from Mwange and Kala camps in Northern and Luapula Province respectively.

"Since the Congolese repatriation started in 2007, this is the first time UNHCR and its partners are exceeding the 10,000 mark. In the last couple of years, the annual repatriated number have gone slightly short of the 10, 000 mark," he said.

Shimoh said the improvement in the number of Congolese refugees going back home could be attributed to the strong leadership in the UNHCR programme, led by the UNHCR Representative James Lynch, who had been actively involved in coming up with various strategies of mass information campaign involving the government of Zambia, donors and other stakeholders. He said Lynch had organised go-and-see visit to DRC last year and massive information campaigns in the two camps of Mwange and Kala.

"The pro-active leadership at Kawambwa Sub -office has over the past few months been engaged with refugees giving them objective information about the situation back home in DRC," he said.

Shimoh said the willingness of the Congolese refugees to return home had been the major impetus in attaining those numbers.