Africa-Press – Angola. The Angolan Consulate General in Solwezi, Zambia, launched a consular campaign on Wednesday aimed at former Angolan refugees living in the district of Kalumbila, in the northwest province of the country, as part of the ongoing effort to provide assistance to the Angolan communities living there.
According to a note, the activity took place in the refugee settlement of Meheba, one of the largest infrastructures of its kind in Zambian territory and is administered by the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees (COR), an entity subordinate to the local Ministry of the Interior, and by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The campaign, which was led by the Consul General of Angola in Solwezi, Agostinho Manuel Raimundo dos Santos, aims to register and collect biographical data for the issuing of official documents, namely identity cards, consular cards and birth certificates, for Angolan citizens residing there, the majority of whom are former refugees.
The consular action will run until Friday (6), with the goal of issuing approximately 50 identity cards for Angolan citizens in the situation of former refugees, in order to contribute to their full civil regularization.
During the work, a total of 40 processed identity cards are expected to be delivered.
As part of the mission, the Consul General held a courtesy meeting with Natio Simbeye, responsible for the Meheba settlement, to whom he addressed the protocol greetings and informed him about the work that the consulate is developing.
During the meeting, diplomat Agostinho dos Santos reiterated the commitment of the Angolan consular representation to continue supporting the regularization of documents of Angolan citizens in this border region.
In turn, Natio Simbeye welcomed the presence of the Angolan Consulate in Solwezi and highlighted that the Meheba settlement continues to give priority attention to refugees and former refugees living there.
He also referred to the ongoing dialogue with Angolan community leaders in the region, where they expressed satisfaction with the continued support that the Angolan community has received from the consulate.
The official reported that UNHCR has been implementing a set of reforms aimed at strengthening reception mechanisms, mitigating situations of document irregularities and promoting the formal legalization of communities, with a focus on populations from Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Eritrea.
The head of the Meheba refugee settlement took the opportunity to invite the Angolan Consul General in Solwezi to participate in the celebrations of World Refugee Day, which is celebrated annually on 20 June, a day dedicated to raising awareness of the situation of refugees worldwide.
The Angolan Consulate General in Solwezi has been stepping up its efforts to provide consular assistance to Angolan communities living in Zambia, especially in the districts under its jurisdiction.
The consular mission has been working constantly to legalise and integrate former Angolan refugees into society.
The Meheba settlement was created in 1971 by UNHCR and is one of the main refugee reception centres in Zambia.
In addition to Angolans, it is home to citizens from the DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, Eritrea and Somalia, among other countries, and is currently a community made up of refugees, former refugees, asylum seekers and local populations.
With these and other initiatives, the Consulate General of Angola in Solwezi has demonstrated its commitment to protecting and supporting national citizens abroad, in accordance with the guidelines of the Angolan government and within the framework of proximity diplomacy.
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