Society - DR Congo's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and Security Adolphe Lumanu Mulenda Bwana N'sefu has urged the country's refugees in Congo to return home.

The Deputy Premier said the conditions in DR Congo were now conducive for the return of the refugees, who are settled in the department of Likouala in northern Congo Brazzaville.

He spoke after visiting the refugees Thursday.

Over 120,000 DRC refugees fled to Congo Brazzaville following the inter-ethnic violence that erupted in DRC's region of Ecuador in December 2009.

The refugees have said they will return home if their security and accommodation conditions were met.

The governments of both countries and the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, have signed a tripartite agreement on repatriation of refugees from the DRC, which stipulates that repatriation must be voluntary.

Pana 29/07/2011