Rwanda and Zambia have reached an agreement to repatriate close to 5,000 Rwandan refugees in the southern Africa nation.

The agreement follows a visit by Rwanda’s Local Government minister Protais Musoni to Lusaka, in which he discussed the refugee issue with his Lusaka counterparts.

Musoni said Zambian officials had agreed to terminate refugee status of Rwandans as a way of encouraging them to return home, saying there is no clear reason for them to remain refugees.

"We have met the Zambian Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Simon Mwasa, and Local Government Minister Benny Tetamashimba as well as UNHCR representatives and agreed to facilitate repatriation,” Musoni said.

Since January this year 17 refugees returned to Rwanda from Zambia but according to officials, many more are likely to repatriate before the end of this year.

"We shall visit different camps with our counterparts here and UNHCR officials and we shall listen to the concerns of the refugees,” Musoni told The New Times from Lusaka.

The refugees are reported to be scattered in four camps, the biggest being Mayukwayukwa, which is home to at least 2,000.

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