Zambia tightens borders following influx of DRC refugees

LUSAKA, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government said on Friday that it has tightened security measures along its borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following an influx of asylum seekers.

Vice-President Inonge Wina said security agencies were conducting joint operations along the border to ensure that no undesirable elements entered the country.

Speaking during a vice-president's question and answer session in parliament, she said patrols have been intensified along the border to ensure that undesirable elements do not enter the country and disrupt the country's peace.

Zambia has witnessed an increase in the arrival of DRC nationals fleeing unrest in their country.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the number of refugees fleeing militia violence in south-eastern DRC and arriving in Zambia has crossed the 12,000 mark, with more than 8,400 arrivals in the last three months.

The UN agency said some 80 percent of the asylum seekers were women and children, with the majority of them being hosted at a transit center, Kenani, in Nchelenge district in Luapula Province. Enditem