Elias Chitenje
The Democratic Republic of Congo security force members who fled into Zambia from the upsurge in fighting have been relocated pending their repatriation.
The 650 armed soldiers and 250 policemen were relocated during the week from Kaputa to Chililabombwe near the Zambia/Congo border. They have separated from more than 7 000 civilian refugees. The repatriation exercise follows a request by President Laurent Kabila’s government.
The acting secretary general of the Zambia Red Cross Society, Kelvin Chiposwa, has pegged the latest influx of refugees at 7 862. The local United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) office has released about US$20 000 to combat the influx, and this has been supplemented by another US$5 000 from the regional office in Harare.
According to reports from the northern border post, almost 10 000 civilians, including some French settlers running away from the war, have crossed into Zambia.
According to an administrative secretary at Kaputa, Evaristo Kafwembela, the armed soldiers surrendered themselves to Zambian authorities and handed over their weapons.
The soldiers and civilians were camped at a construction company shed, where the UNHCR, the Zambia Army, and other aid agencies have put up temporary structures for them.