Luanda — The situation of Angolan citizens residing in Zambia and the implementation of the cooperation agreement in the field of defence and human rights, signed in April of this year, in Lusaka, dominated the meeting between the Ombudsman Florbela Araújo and the Zambian ambassador, Cawdence Chalungunvana.

Florbela Araújo, who was speaking this Wednesday at the end of the meeting, she mentioned that she was following up on the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries' ombudspersons on the defense of citizens' fundamental rights, freedoms and guarantees.

Speaking to the press, she stressed that Angola is concerned about the difficulty that citizens face in obtaining documents, even though they have lived in the neighbouring country for many years.

On the occasion, she informed that contacts are being made with the authorities of both countries, in order to speed up the exchange of Angolan citizens in conflict with the law in Zambia and vice versa, so that they serve their sentences in the countries of origin.

In this regard, Ambassador Cawdence Chalungunvana informed that recently it was effected the repatriation of at least 30 Angolan nationals who were detained in Zambia and one Zambian to his country.

Last April, Florbela Araújo and Zambia's ombuds Caroline Sokoni, signed a cooperation agreement in the field of defence of human rights, freedoms and fundamental guarantees of citizens.

The Memorandum aims to exchange experience of procedures, strategies, studies, legislation and articulation with other Ombudspersosns on the African continent.