DR Congo: UNHCR Regional Update - Southern Africa Operational Update

ReliefWeb: Updates by Country 19.04.2024 13:31 Countries: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, South Sudan, Zambia, Zimbabwe Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Please refer to the attached file. Highlights UNHCR continues to monitor the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the start of MONUSCO’s withdrawal. UNHCR is supporting climate action in countries like Angola, Mozambique, and the Republic of the Congo. UNHCR supported the launch of the National Refugee Policy and Implementation Plan in Zambia. Regional Context: Key Developments ▪ Instability in the DRC: In January, a UN delegation visited South Kivu to review the preparations for the withdrawal of the UN Stabilization Mission from the province, expected to take place in April. During the visit, civilians expressed their concerns over their safety due to increasing violence by non-state armed groups in the area. North Kivu saw a similar escalation, with skirmishes between armed groups, which had decreased with a ceasefire in December, becoming more frequent and intense during the month. UNHCR is closely monitoring the situation and providing support to communities affected by the conflict. ▪ Launch of the Refugee Policy in Zambia: On 19 January, Zambia launched its National Refugee Policy and Implementation Plan, developed in close collaboration with UNHCR and partners. While the Policy aims to improve asylum and refugee management, promote the inclusion of forcibly displaced people in national systems, and provide support to host communities, the Implementation Plan aims to remove barriers to self-reliance and enable refugees to integrate into Zambian society and contribute to the local economy. ▪ Refugee status advances in Angola: As case processing continues for the regularization of the status of refugees who fall under active cessation clauses, the Government of Angola has decided to issue residence permits to all registered refugees and asylum-seekers from Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Rwanda who opted for local integration during a screening in 2021. Moreover, after authorities granted automatic refugee status to all asylum-seekers who had filed their cases before 2015 and were still awaiting adjudication last year, the Government began registering this population, an effort that will allow around 28,000 people to receive essential documentation.

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