From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: ANGOLA: THOUSANDS RETURNING HOME, B
Originator: @gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 01:44:47 GMT

Title: ANGOLA: THOUSANDS RETURNING HOME, BUT GET NO FURTHER THAN CAMPS


an inter press service feature

by vicki finkel

m'banza congo, angola, sep 2 (ips) -- after 14 years as a
refugee in zaire, eduardo wete has returned to his native
angola.

''peace has returned to angola and i wanted to return to my
country'', 70-year-old wete told ips here tuesday.

after a five-day trip from kimpese, across the angolan border
in zaire, wete is now one of 5,500 angolan returnees at the
m'banza congo transit centre, outside the northern angolan
provincial capital of zaire.

with his coveted sewing machine accompanying him on the
arduous truck ride, wete is determined to return to his
war-abandoned home in the northern province of uige, and resume
his tailoring.

the return of peace to this south-western african nation was
officially sealed with last year's signing of a cease-fire by
president jose eduardo dos santos and long-time battlefield
rival, jonas savimbi, leader of the national union for the total
independence of angola (unita).

that accord, which also called for mulitparty elections, has
attracted many of the 300,000 angolans who took refuge in
neighbouring zaire to stream back across the border and rebuild
their war-shattered lives.

the deteriorating political and economic state of mobutu
sese seko's zaire has also encouraged the returnees, gathered in
five transit centres in northern angola, set up by the u.n. high
commissioner for refuges (unhcr).

the increased tide of refugees has strained the capacity of
the camp, located about three km outside the transit centre
here.

''this is a camp for 1,000 people and there are now over
5,500 here'', says jose rocavira of the federation of the
angolan red cross and red crescent societies working in the
camp.

the shortage of tents and few roofed dormotory-type buildings
has led many returnees to build their own grass-thatch housing,
as new arrivals quickly cut fresh grass and carry bundles
overhead to the camp. (more/ips)


angola: thousands (2)

in rows of thatched shelters, the stench of human waste is a
clear indication facilities at the camp are insufficient for the
population, and the potential for the spread of disease is rife.

''the poor hygienic conditions are a very serious problem
here'', joao seke, assistant camp administrator told ips. ''this
leads to a lot of health problems which will get worse when the
rains arrive at the end of this month''.

diarrhoea and malaria outbreaks are common in the camp, adds
seke.

often forced to sell their harvests and minimal possessions
to buy rides on private angola-bound trucks, the returnees have
to scrounge for old tins and containers even to haul water.

two wells supply water to the camp. but the nearest lies half
a kilometre downhill, forcing a steady file of women and girls
to walk up the steep incline weighed down by delicately balanced
water containers on their heads.

transportation difficulties have slowed to a trickle the
return of angolans to their home areas and created a bottleneck
at the camp.

about 200 new returnees arrive at the camp a day, in addition
to another 2,000 waiting across the border on their way home.

with key bridges destroyed in the brutal 16-year civil war,
repatriation efforts depend on a ferryboat service to transport
trucks of supplies and returnees across the zaire river.

but a heavy petrol truck sunk the ferry at the end of july,
cutting off the camp from arriving cargo convoys as well as
links home for many camp dwellers. ''we were facing critical
shortages here in august'', says rocavira.

fuelled by a fervent desire to return to their provinces,
some returnees suggested walking across the river with their
luggage overhead, or travelling by foot on long-remembered
routes home, adds rocavira.

but many of their traditional walking paths are still heavily
mined, and camp organisers cannot risk potential deaths of
homeward-bound angolans drowning in the river.

unhcr airlifts of food and medical kits here late august
resupplied the camp. and some returnees flew back to their home
areas.

but insufficient funding will probabaly find many angolans in
the camp until bridges are repaired. only two million of the 55
million dollars the uncr appealed for a two-year repatriation
has been received so far, says the unhcr representative in
angola, ana liria franch. (end/ips/vf/apc/oa/92)


-- 
Mr. Aaron Barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us -- posting from Evanston, Illinois
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african