Fighting moves north

Fighting in Angola along the border with Zambia has moved north, as a new influx of refugees this week entered Zambia's Northwestern province, humanitarian sources told IRIN. Some 235 Angolan refugees crossed into Zambezi district at the beginning of the week, indicating that the Angolan government's offensive against UNITA is expanding into neighbouring Moxico province, UNHCR officials said. However, the flow of refugees has also continued into Zambia's Western province further to the south. Philip Ramaga, the head of UNHCR's Mongu office, told IRIN that in the past few days close to 1,000 Angolan refugees had crossed the remote border. He said that, according to the refugees, more were waiting on the other side. The flow of refugees is reportedly being restricted by UNITA, with mainly women and children and the elderly crossing the Kwando river and making the arduous journey through marshland and forest into Zambia. They are arriving at remote border villages around Shangombo where humanitarian agencies are attempting to provide basic facilities before they are trucked by UNHCR the 140 km to a temporary holding centre outside the Nangweshi refugee. "They are definitely malnourished, they have been held for some time at the border by UNITA," an aid worker with a medical relief agency in the area told IRIN. "We are moving in because we are a little concerned." By late last month, more than 4,000 refugees had arrived in southern Zambia fleeing intense fighting across the border. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 former UNITA combatants and their families have been transferred from Nangweshi to Ukwimi, a special camp in eastern Zambia, UNHCR announced on Friday. A further 300 are expected to follow after they are also granted formal asylum. The former rebels had all arrived in Nangweshi last year following the fall of UNITA's Jamba stronghold. According to UNHCR spokeswoman Delphine Marie, the Ukwimi transfer was aimed at making Nangweshi "a purely civilian camp" and to avoid allegations of UNITA recruitment. Ukwimi already holds around 1,200 ex-UNITA fighters, including senior commanders.