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1,000 DR of Congo refugees flee to Zambia in last six days, UN refugee agency says

1,000 DR of Congo refugees flee to Zambia in last six days, UN refugee agency says

The Zambian Government is reporting that 1,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have crossed into its territory since last Thursday because of fighting by Maï-Maï rebel militia elements in southeastern DRC, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said today.

About 300 refugees have sought asylum on Kilwa Island in Lake Mweru on the DRC-Zambia border and another 700 are on the Zambian mainland, UNHCR spokesman Kris Janowski reported in Geneva, citing "sketchy information."

Zambian authorities have been screening them to ensure that they are genuine asylum-seekers, he said. Agency staff in Lusaka and in Kawambwa stand ready to move refugees to Kala Camp in northern Zambia, where other Congolese nationals have been sheltered.