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afrol.com, 14 November - The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been able to meet with some of the thousands of Angolan refugees entering Congo Kinshasa (DRC), spokesman Kris Janowski today confirmed. Angolan civilians are fleeing heavy clashes between Government forces and UNITA rebels in Northern Angola. - UNHCR staff from Kahemba in Congo Kinshasa (DRC) were able to conduct a two-day mission this weekend to remote border areas and contact for the first time newly arrived Angolan refugees UNHCR spokesman Kris Janowski said today. A planned deployment of UNHCR staff earlier, had to be postponed because of the lack of aircraft fuel in the DRC. The UN agency has been aware of the influx of large numbers of Angolan refugees to the DRC for two weeks, but has been unable to get to the affected areas due to general fuel shortages in the DRC and the tense situation in the area. Thus, this first mission to three villages in southeastern Bandundu province proceeded under heavy military escort and put the number of Angolans who have crossed to that vicinity in the past few weeks at 1,000. "The estimate included information from an area that the mission was not allowed to visit by the accompanying soldiers, who cited possible encounters with UNITA rebels," Janowski said. Refugees who had crossed to the DRC in the past week confirmed to UNHCR that thousands more displaced people have erected makeshift shelters in forests on the Angolan side of the border, according to the UN agency. - They named dozens of small villages in Angola’s border province of Lunda Norte that were abandoned by their population after clashes between UNITA and Government forces at Camaxilo, Janowski told. The Angolan Government earlier has claimed to have recaptured vast areas in this border zone. In the diamond rich Kuilo district in Lunda Norte province, the Angolan Government reports to have "virtually eliminated UNITA from the area". In northern Malange province, Governor Flavio Fernandes told the Portuguese press agency Lusa that the army recaptured two areas held by UNITA since 1992, including the diamond zone of Cambo Sungingi, late last week. He gave no details of the fighting but said that ongoing army operations could soon allow the reinstatement of government administration in some of the province's 10 districts, five of which were still under rebel control, IRIN reports. Some refugees UNHCR spoke with said they had crossed to the DRC after a month of seeking safety in the woods, and only after they were no longer able to find food. They reported that thousands of individuals continue to move out of relative safety in wooded areas at night to search for food. - Four UNHCR trucks are standing by in Kinshasa as the fuel shortage has so far allowed only three trucks with emergency aid to make the 10-day trip to Kahemba, Janowski said. Fuel shortage in the DRC has thwarted efforts to transport aid from the capital Kinshasa to Angolan refugees for a week now. The available fleet of 7 UNHCR trucks could have ferried supplies for up to 15,000 refugees if fuel was available. Some 18,000 refugees are in the process of crossing the border, UNHCR earlier has informed. The DRC Government has allowed the refugees to enter the country, but only after careful scanning for possible weapons, as there might be UNITA rebels among the uprooted. The DRC already hosts 170,000 Angolan refugees who fled during earlier stages of Angola’s civil war. If the new influx continues, the figure will quickly exceed 200,000. Refugee numbers increased dramatically in that country after the intense fighting between UNITA and government forces in Angola's northern provinces. These refugees are heavily dependent on aid provided by the UN agency. Source: Based on UNHCR & Angolan Government
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