Zambia

Zambia repatriated more than 500 Congolese refugees on Nov. 4, bringing to 15,660 the number of people who have returned to their home country since May, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said. UNHCR resident representative, James Lynch, said in a statement that 502 Congolese refugees, most of whom fled to Zambia a decade ago at the height of the civil strife in their country, left by boat from Mpulungu heading for Moba and Kalemie in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lynch urged more Congolese refugees to come forward to be repatriate before the voluntary program concludes at the end of this year. (Reuters)