All Congolese nationals stranded abroad will be subjected to stringent measures before they step back on DRC territory, the government announced on Saturday.
Marie Tumba Nzeza, the Minister of State in Ministry for Foreign Affairs, said all returnees will be required to sign a pact that requires them to adhere quarantine measures aimed at suppressing the spread of #COVID-19.
“Given the slippages observed in the case of certain Congolese returnees who deliberately refuse the quarantine instructions, the government has therefore decided to have them sign an act of engagement, before embarking,” Tumba Nzeza said on Saturday.
More than 200 Congolese nationals were seen stranded on the Rwandan side of the boarder.
They were denied entry into their country because there was no formal communication from the Congolese embassy in Kigali.
73 Congolese that had been stranded in Congo-Brazzaville because of #COVID-19 returned to Kinshasa, Saturday. They were welcomed at Beach Ngobila.
The head of Congolese diplomacy, Marie Ntumba, had announced April 15, the start of the repatriation operation of Congolese stranded abroad.
Since then, the DRC has already repatriated several stranded Congolese to Dubai, the Benelux, Cameroon and elsewhere.
The mineral rich country is reportedly grappling with #COVID-19 cases which are about to hit the 1000 cases mark.
According to the multisectoral committee for the response to the Coronavirus pandemic, the country has so far recorded 991 confirmed cases.
In the capital city Kinshasa 54 new cases were confirmed on Saturday.
Two new deaths were also recorded, making a total of 41 people already deceased from #COVID-19.
Meanwhile, six new people are declared cured and bringing the number of cured to 136 while 682 patients are progressing well and 277 suspected cases are under investigation.
The provinces affected so far are still 7, namely:
KINSHASA: 938
CENTRAL KONGO: 29
TOP KATANGA: 10
NORTH KIVU: 7
SUD KIVU: 4
ITURI: 2
KWILU: 1
