Forced Repatriation of Angolans from DRC

The MENTOR Initiative Responds with Emergency Malaria Control for Returnees

On October 4th the expulsion of Angolan refugees began from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Approximately 40.000 Angolans have been expelled from and have been arriving in the provinces of Zaire (28.000), Uige (7.800) and Cabinda (2.000). For the most part these returnees have come with few belongings and are destitute because of rapid nature of the expulsion. There are an estimated total of 120.000 Angolan refugees living in DRC and there is currently high fear amongst Angolans living in DRC that the official expulsion, which has currently been halted by the Congolese government, will resume or continue by local authorities. Angolans continue to return voluntarily because of this high level of fear and current interventions for the returnees are inadequately serving the needs of the returnees.