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Soldiers seek asylum

    JOHANNESBURG

    The refugee agency UNHCR has confirmed media reports that a group of soldiers seeking asylum in Zambia have crossed the border from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

    The group of 53 soldiers handed themselves over to Zambian authorities and are being screened in the northwestern town of Mansa. UNHCR is interviewing the men, and so far 37 have renounced their military status.

    A UNHCR official could not comment on local press reports that the men were Hutu soldiers fighting on the side of President Laurent-Desire Kabila. "They came from the DRC. We are yet to find out the details of whether they constitute other nationalities. The interviews are still going on," the
    UNHCR officer told IRIN.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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