ZAMBIA: Refugees wait while Angola delays clearance of their airlift home

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

JOHANNESBURG, 5 Sep 2005 (IRIN) - More than two weeks after getting a green light from the Zambian authorities to return home, over 700 Angolan refugees are still languishing at a transit centre, awaiting clearance from their government.

Aid workers said on Monday they were still uncertain as to why the Angolan authorities had yet to clear the plane expected to be used in the repatriation exercise.

Since 22 August 724 refugees have been housed at the makeshift transit camp in Zambia's Western Province town of Mongu, about 700 km west of the capital, Lusaka.

"This group was supposed to be at home by now. We were hoping to get them there by 24 August but have been struggling to get clearance from Angola's civil aviation authorities. Because of this delay, we are going to have to reschedule our entire repatriation programme, which is a problem because it means more time wasted," Anthony Mogga, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) suboffice head in Mongu, told IRIN.

He added that any further delay would mean additional pressure on very limited resources, and a subsequent deterioration in living conditions at the camp.

"This is a fairly heavy caseload, and the camp was not meant to shelter so many people for a long period. Although we are managing right now, we are concerned about sanitation. The refugees have also complained about mosquitoes, and that the food is monotonous. But we are trying to do our best in a very difficult position," he said.

There were also concerns that the refugees were growing increasingly frustrated, which "could lead to insecurity in the area".

"We must remember that these people packed up their lives and anticipated a move back to their country. Now they have nothing to do, and are discontented. This could lead to some leaving the transit camp to go into the town. We don't want to see tensions between the local people and the refugees," Mogga warned.

Josiah Ogina, head of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), said a meeting with the authorities on Monday had failed to yield positive results.

"The IOM in Angola has followed this issue up with the relevant authorities, and has been told to deal with the civilian aviation authorities. A meeting today [Monday] has not yielded positive results, but we are still trying," Ogina said.

Since the resumption of the repatriation programme in the second week of May, just over 1,500 Angolans have returned home either by land or air.

The IOM is expected to transport 35,000 refugees this year.

During 27 years of civil war an estimated 500,000 Angolans fled to neighbouring countries - Zambia, Namibia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana and South Africa - and millions more were displaced internally. A repatriation propgramme began soon after the signing of a peace agreement in 2002.

[ENDS]