Voluntary repatriation of Angolan refugees in Congo begins next week

Brazzaville, Congo (PANA) – The voluntary repatriation of Angolan refugees in Congo would begin on 3 November, according to a communiqué of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (HCR) released on Monday.

Angolan refugees totalling 826, including 773 hailing from the Cabinda province, have live in the Republic of Congo for decades.

These figures were arrived at during a joint verification exercise organized in July 2011, Pointe-Noire, Kouilou and Niari in the south of Congo.

The exercise indicated that 72 refugees had indictaed their willingness to be voluntarily repatriated.

The decision to repatriate the Angolans was taken at last week's second tripartite meeting between the governments of the Republic of Congo and Angola and HCR held in Pointe-Noire, Congo.

Angola announced that measures had been taken to receive the returnees.
-0- PANA MB/JSG/IBA/PAP/MA 24Oct2011