Luanda, ANGOLA, August 24 - The Angolan and DRC governments, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) signed a tripartite agreement in Luanda on the voluntary repatriation of Congolese refugees.,

Of the 23,684 Congolese refugees registered jointly by the Government of Angola and UNHCR, around 16,177 expressed a desire to return to the DRC.

Available data indicate that since Monday dawn, eight thousand refugees walked about 20 kilometers and set up a camp at the headquarters of Lóvua municipality, in Lunda Norte province, to rest in order to continue to the border with DRC.

By Friday, 1,466 refugees had already returned to the DRC.

The already repatriated group includes children, women and men, who, during the course of nearly three hours, until the Tchicolondo border, count on assurance of the National Police, food and water staff provided by the Angolan government.

The Angolan government has provided trucks for the transport of 18,800 refugees, food, six ambulances, water tanker trucks along the way and more than 80 troops to ensure the safety of refugees.

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