Zimbabwe expels 86 Congolese

By Godfrey Olukya

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) - Zimbabwe has expelled 86 Congolese nationals after determining that they were staying in the country illegally.

According to Lieut. Isaac Semuka, a security officer in Haut-Katanga province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, they are currently staying in the city of Lubumbashi.

“Eighty-six of our people have been expelled from Zimbabwe. On arrival to their homeland, they have been received by authorities of Lubumbashi city. As they wait to return to their villages of origin, they are being catered for by the provincial government through the mayor of Lubumbashi,” Semuka told Anadolu Agency by phone.

He noted that some of them said they were held by police before being deported.

‘’They said they were arrested in an operation carried out by Zimbabwe police. They were held in police cells for some days,” he added.

They were later taken to Kasumbalesa, a border town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and handed over to authorities there. They were welcomed by the provincial interior minister, Christian Momat, who assured them of the government’s commitment to assist them so that they settle down in their country.

Recently, Angola deported over 1,000 Congolese who were illegally staying in the country.

Many Congolese flee to neighboring countries due to attacks on their villages by members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group and other militia groups.