Lóvua — The Angolan government's commitment to the protection of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) housed in the settlement of Lóvua, in the province of Lunda-Norte, was praised on Thursday by the United Nations High Commissioner (UNHCR).

The recognition was made by the head of the protection area of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Aram Fashem, stressing that the Angolan State gave a good example of solidarity by welcoming in 2017 the more than 30 thousand citizens of the DRC, who fled their country due to ethnic and political conflicts.

According to the official, who was speaking at the provincial event of World Refugee Day, citizens found security and opportunities to rebuild their lives in Angolan territory.

He reiterated UNHCR's commitment to promoting policies, in partnership with the Angolan Government, for the socio-economic reintegration of refugees.

He said UNHCR continues to find durable solutions for the voluntary and safe repatriation of those refugees who express a desire to return to their country of origin.

In May 2017, an initial group of 35,000 DRC citizens arrived in Lunda Norte province, fleeing violence in the Kassai area, a crisis that led to the declaration of an emergency.

Currently, ACUNUR controls 6,222 refugees in the Lóvua camp and 3,000 in the city of Dundo, the rest have been repatriated in their country of origin.