Wed, 01 Nov 2017 10:24:17 +0000
By Oscar Malipenga
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu yesterday warned Congolese refugees that have been allowed to settle in Zambia against abrogating the laws of Zambia.
The Head of State urged all the refugees to be law abiding and not to bring lawlessness in Zambia from Congo DR.
About 6,100 Congolese have fled into Zambia following the heightened political and ethnic war.
President Lungu said he expected refugees from Congo DR to be law abiding citizens.
“To the refugees I urge you to feel at home as indicated earlier on Kenani, is not a permanent place of settlement, government has secured land where you will be settled to restart your lives again. We will do everything possible to make your stay as comfortable as possible and assist you to become productive and self reliant.
“You must be peace loving people that is why you ran away from lawlessness in Congo DR, I expect you to be law abiding in Zambia and don’t bring lawlessness from Congo which you have run away from here,” he said.
Other than Nchelenge and Chiengi borders, DRC refugees have been entering Zambia in small numbers through border points in Nsumbu, Kaputa and Mpulungu district in Northern Province, Kasumbalesa and Sakanya border points on the Copperbelt, as well as Kipushi and Kakoma in North-Western Province bringing the total number of refugees from DRC to over 9,000 as of today.
And leader of the of refugees Mauno Lukongo appealed to President Lungu to allow them start working in Zambia through different skills they have from Congo.
She said they needed to be making money because the food they were receiving was not adequate.
Mrs Lukongo said refugees also needed a school to allow their children to continue with their education.
And speaking before departure to Lusaka at Mansa airport, President Lungu urged Laupula residents to take a lesson from Congo DR by being peace loving Zambians.
He urged the residents to treat each other as brothers and sisters who should be able to forgive one another.
President Lungu promised to return to Luapula province soon.
Earlier, President Lungu held a closed door meeting with three traditional leaders who gave land to refugees.
Chief Mwata Kazembe reminded President Lungu during the meeting that the refugees needed a more permanent settle because the rains that had
started.
