"We have only managed to repatriate about 121 Rwandans. Most of them have expressed security concerns as a major reason why they don't want to return," a spokesman for the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Kelvin Shimo, told AFP.
"We have started sensitising them on the need to return because Rwanda is now a peaceful country," Shimo said.
The Zambian government and UNHCR launched the voluntary repatriation scheme in April last year but most Rwandan refugees, many of whom now run businesses in Zambia, have not signed up.
A senior Zambian government official told AFP that Lusaka was planning to revoke the refugee status of Rwandans who refused to go home.
"We shall remove their refugee status and they will have to apply for the stay under the immigration laws," the official from the interior ministry told AFP on condition of anonymity.
He said the reasons advanced by the Rwandans were not convincing enough for them to remain in Zambia as refugees, especially as most were engaged in business.
Meanwhile, the UNHCR said it had repatriated about 3 000 Angolan refugees in four weeks after a voluntary repatriation exercise was launched, Shimo said.
"So far 2 894 Angolans were repatriated by road since June," Shimo said, adding that an additional number of returnees left without any UNHCR assistance.
He said next week, the UN agency will launch an airlift operation aimed at repatriating the 40 000 Angolans targeted to be taken back home this year alone. – Sapa-AFP.
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