Luanda, ANGOLA, August 22 - The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Thursday reiterated the commitment to support the governments of Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the process of repatriation of more than 23,000 Congolese refugees sheltered in Lóvua, refugee camp in Lunda Norte province.,

According to UNHCR's regional representative, Ann Encontre, one of the immediate supports will be the issuing of documents and the improvement of social assistance to refugees still in Lóvua Camp, in order to give dignity to those citizens.

The official who was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Tripartite Summit (Angola / DRC / UNHCR), reaffirmed that the repatriation process, accompanied by her organization and the Angolan authorities in Lóvua, will be gradual and will take at least 45 days.

In her turn, the permanent secretary of the DRC National Commission for Refugees, Berthe Ilunga Zinga, thanked the Angolan Government for the reception and hospitality, an action that considered excellent in relations between the two countries.

In total, 23,684 refugees have been sheltered at the Lóvua Reception Center since May 2017, including 11,664 children and 600 pregnant women.

Until the dawn of Monday, 8.000 refugees walked about 20 kilometers and set up a camp at the headquarters of the municipality of Lóvua, to rest, in order to continue to the border with the DRC.

Refugees will be repatriated from the borders of Chissanda, Tchicolondo and Marco 25 to the provinces of Kassai and Central Kassai (DRC).