9 May 2008
Ndola — THE tripartite meeting on the repatriation of Angolan refugees from Zambia has resolved that Zambia should consider absorbing some Angolans that are not willing to return to their home country.
This is according to the recommendations made at the meeting and signed by ministry of Home Affairs Permanent Secretary, Susan Sikaneta, ministry of assistance and social reinsertion of Angola national director Nisla Batalha and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative for Zambia, James Lynch.
The tripartite meeting resolved that the Zambian Government should consider the situation of some Angolan refugees and absorb them in the local communities.
It was important that the Government worked closely with UNHCR, the immigration department and the office of the commissioner for refugees.
"A report on the position of Zambia will be presented at the next meeting. The representative of the Government of Zambia and Republic of Angola request UNHCR to mobilise resources through an appeal to the international donor community for durable solutions for Angolan refugees in Zambia," read part of the recommendations.
The meeting noted that Zambia and Angola realised the important role that UNHCR had played in the protection of refugees.
The two governments would continue to cooperate with the UNHCR in seeking durable solutions to the refugees' crisis.
It was resolved that there was need to find a durable solution for the remaining refugees and way to enable them return to Angola.
There was need to explore possibilities of integrating those that would want to remain in Zambia.
"The Government of the Republic of Angola will present at the next meeting its position on the request for organised return of Angolan refugees who wish to go back in 2008. At the invitation of the Government of Angola, the next tripartite meeting will be held before September 2008 in Angola," read the resolutions.
The meeting took note of the results of the comprehensive registration and profiling exercise of refugees settled in camps.
The registration exercise showed that 27,073 Angolans were still in Zambia and included 8,262 who had settled in the communities, 21 settled in urban areas and 18,790 in refugee settlements.
During the closing ceremony, Ms Sikaneta said most Angolans had been in Zambia for 42 years now.
Many, she said, had married Zambians and were therefore considered to be brothers and sisters to many indigenous people.
Ms Sikaneta said that the two governments would continue working together to resolve the crisis.
Dr Batalha said Angola and Zambia would continue working together to ensure that the refugees returned to their home country.
She commended the Zambian Government for the assistance rendered to Angolans.
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