The repatriation of Angolan refugees is creating food shortages in and around the Zambian camps they have lived in for decades.

"The repatriation of Angolan refugees has affected us so much. They were very hardworking farmers and we used to buy cheap beans, rice, cassava, sweet potatoes and maize [the staple crop] from them, but now we have nowhere to run to for cheap foods," said village headman Chiwevu, whose hamlet is located on the outskirts of the Meheba refugee settlement in north-western Zambia.

Zambia hosts about 143000 refugees from Africa's civil wars and politically unstable regions, including Angola, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda, in a string of camps along its western and northern borders. Meheba houses about 14400 people.

On arrival each family was allocated 2,5ha of arable land for cultivation.

"We provide all refugees with food rations for the first two seasons, after which they are expected to be self-reliant to grow their own food for consumption and sale. So far, Angolan and Rwandese refugees have proved to be very successful and viable farmers," said Khalid Mahgoub, a North-Western province field officer for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

The 2002 death of Angolan rebel leader Jonas Savimbi ended the country's long-running civil war and the next year the refugees, some of whom had lived in the camps since 1970, began to return home.

More than 60000 Angolans have been repatriated since 2003 and an additional 15000 will return home by December this year, but they remain the largest group of refugees in Zambia, comprising about 72000 people, of whom 49000 have settled outside the camps.

As the Angolan refugee population has declined, so has crop production in the region. Chiwevu said the government had stopped agricultural inputs for local farmers and insisted that agricultural cooperatives be formed, but this had led to infighting, "hence we have been depending on food supplies sold by the refugees".

"The total agricultural output for Meheba refugee settlement has fallen to unprecedented levels since the start of the Angolan refugee repatriation programme," said agricultural officer Jones Maseka. "Even within the camp, the situation is so bad that there is urgent need for relief food to save many lives."

Meheba produced more than 10000 tons of maize in the season before the repatriations began, but the most recent harvest only yielded 1140 tons. Cassava under cultivation fell from 2 000ha to 20ha, while the sweet potato crop declined from more than 4500 tons to less than 720 tons.

The refugees also established fish farms and sold their products beyond the camp's borders, but of the 353 fishponds operating in 2002 only about 150 are left.

"Apart from the fact that many farming Angolan refugees have repatriated, those who have remained are uncertain of their future and, therefore, can't go full throttle in farming. We are now seeing many of them selling their livestock and fish in the ponds. This is why we have recorded the sharp decline in production trends," Maseka said.

Judith Lungu, dean of the University of Zambia's agricultural school, said reduced food production at the camps could have been avoided if the government had taken precautionary measures.

"Refugees contribute a lot to food production. When they leave, the land should be given to people or organisations that will continue to use that land for productive farming. This is one way communities can somehow benefit from having hosted refugees," said Lungu.

Zambia's commissioner for refugees, Jacob Mphepo, said an initiative was being designed to bring together locals and refugee communities "to learn from each other", but this would depend on funding. "It's a pity that our people could not learn the tricks of successful farming from Angolans for more than 20 years." -- Irin


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