Zambia has raised concern that the aftermath of the elections that declared opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi, which has been dismissed by his closest rival Martin Fayulu and Western countries, might escalate the influx of Congolese refugees into the country. Currently, 13,000 Congolese asylum seekers are hosted at Mantapala in North Eastern Zambia - near the border with the DRC. “We had hoped the holding of elections could restore peace in the DRC and reduce [the number of] our brothers and sisters seeking asylum in Zambia, but it does not look that way,” added Nsemukila. In November alone, 826 DRC refugees entered Zambia although numbers dropped to 524 in December. Authorities in Zambia have raised concerns that the electoral dispute, including heightened calls for a vote recount and formation of a government of national unity, could spell more doom for Zambia.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 21, 2019 08:03 UTC