Angola - IOM, in close coordination with the governments of Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and UNHCR, today resumed the voluntary repatriation of former Angolan refugees from the DRC.

The first convoy will arrive from the DRC today (20/8) and cross the Angolan border at Kimbata in Uige province. From the border, the column of buses and trucks loaded with personal belongings of the first 506 former refugees will be escorted to the city of Maquela de Zombo, where the passengers will be transferred to a transit centre set up by the Angolan Ministry of Assistance and Social Reinsertion (MINARS).

On arrival, they will be registered by the authorities and will receive food and accommodation. In cooperation with MINARS, IOM will organize the safe onward transportation of the returnees to their communities of origin. Similar convoys will continue to run twice a week over the next several months.

Following the peace agreement in 2002, over 400,000 Angolan citizens were helped to return and reintegrate in Angola under a regional voluntary return programme implemented jointly by the government of Angola, host countries, IOM and UNHCR between 2003 and 2007.

During the latest phase of the programme between June 2011 and June 2012 an additional 23,343 Angolan refugees were repatriated successfully.

Building on past achievements, the new operation will allow more former Angolan refugees in the DRC wishing to return to Angola to be able to do so in a safe and orderly manner.

In July 2014, the governments of Angola and the DRC estimated that there were still nearly 48,000 former Angolan refugees in the DRC. Of those, 29,659 have expressed their intention to return home to Angola.

The IOM operation – which will run until the end of the year – is funded by UNCHR and the Government of Japan.

For more information, please contact

IOM Angola

Salvatore Sortino
Tel: +244 2264 30 870 Ext. 4777
Email: ssortino@iom.int

or

Daniel Silva
Tel. +244 938 910 280
Email: dsilva@iom.int