Refugees are reluctant to return home

Kathmandu, November 2: Angolan refugees are reluctant to return home from neighboring Zambia despite an assurance that peace has returned to their home country, Zambian Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Peter Mumba said.

Sunday Times of Zambia quoted Mumba as saying that the Zambian government is concerned about the continued reluctance when it is conducive for the refugees to return.

He warned the refugees that once the period for repatriation lapsed, the government will not assist or facilitate their travel arrangements as they will not longer be regarded as refugees.

"No place is better than home and it is better to volunteer now while we still have assistance and at one point these people will no longer be regarded as refugees," he said.

The Angolan voluntary repatriation from Zambia started in 2003, one year after the protracted civil war ended Angola. Since then a total of 64,000 refugees have been safely repatriated to their motherland. About 29,000 Angolan refugees remain in Zambia.

There are still 150,000 refugees in Zambia from countries including Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia. Bhutan News Service