Returnees from Angola expected in June

The repatriation of thousands of Congolese refugees from an estimated 11,000 living in Angola is expected to start in mid-July, the UNHCR stated on Friday. 1,850 have so far applied to return to DRC, mostly from around Lubumbashi in Katanga Province or Kananga in Kasai Province, and now living in Viana camp near the Angolan capital Luanda, it said. Some of the refugees have said they are uncertain about their return, having lost most of their contacts after 23 years in exile, but that they would return if UNHCR helped them. The agency said it would assist the refugees with transport to their areas of origin, and was currently exploring the possibility of airlifting returnees to certain main centres in government-held and peaceful areas.