200 refugees return home from DRC

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) began on Monday to repatriate 2,562 Central African Republic refugees, who have been living in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo since June 2001.

Minister of Social Affairs Lea Doumta, received the first convoy of 200 refugees that reached Bangui, the CAR capital, in an arrival ceremony also attended by the UN Secretary-General's representative, Lamine Cisse.

The UNHCR deputy representative in the Congo, Aida Haile Mariam, told IRIN on Monday that the operation would be completed by 18 June. She said that before crossing River Oubangui to Bangui, the refugees had received a package of non-food items that included cooking utensils, jerry cans, blankets and farming tools.

Emile Segbor, the UNHCR representative in the CAR, said during the arrival ceremony that the UN World Food Programme had agreed to give the refugees food rations for three months.

He said UNHCR sought to "support, extend or repair collective facilities such as schools, health centres and dispensaries in neighbourhoods with many returnees".

He added that refugees would also be given funds to start micro-projects and that particular attention would be accorded to vulnerable people.

Most of the returnees came from Camp Mole, some 35 km from the CAR border. Haile said 300 refugees had not registered for repatriation, preferring to evaluate the situation before deciding.

The secretary-general of the CAR refugee coordination body, Thierry Bema, told IRIN that former soldiers, who are in Camp Bokilio, 150 km from the CAR border, had also demanded to be repatriated.

UNHCR also plans to repatriate 2,000 CAR refugees living in the Republic of Congo. The UNHCR protection officer in CAR, Mamadou Niane, told IRIN that this operation would start as soon as the operation in the Democratic Republic of he Congo ends.

The repatriation follows a government appeal for the public to welcome the returnees by offering food and shelter.

Kotada Jacqueline, 42, mother of nine children said they were going to join their relatives in Bangui as her husband's home was destroyed in May 2001. After registration, returnees are taken to their districts and then, to their neighbouhoods.