UN deplores DRC 'tragedy'
2007-12-16 21:09
Goma - The UN's refugee chief on Sunday deplored a humanitarian "tragedy" in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, scene of misery and months-long fighting between Congolese troops and insurgents.
"We're reinforcing our presence in Nord-Kivu ... in co-operation with other agencies to improve the conditions of life in the camps for the displaced," the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres told a news conference.
"Peace is an essential condition to stop this tragedy," Guterres added, estimating at about 800 000 the number of people uprooted from their homes in Nord-Kivu by years of violence - with at least half fleeing over the past 12 months alone.
Guterres's remarks come as Congolese, Rwandan, UN and other international officials are to meet in Goma to discuss the tangled conflict - which observers fear threatens not only DR Congo's fragile recovery from a devastating civil war, but also regional stability.
Rebels retreat
On Saturday, the UN peacekeeping mission MONUC reported that rebels loyal to renegade ex-general Laurent Nkunda had retreated from hills ringing the key regional town of Sake, describing the action as key to ensuring its security.
Nkunda's forces appear to have dealt the Congolese army setbacks in recent days despite being vastly outnumbered. The rebel leader has called for talks with the government.
Regional fighting also involves local Mai-Mai militia and Rwandan Hutu rebels hostile to Nkunda.
Guterres judged "inacceptable" the presence of armed fighters in UN-controlled camps for the displaced, where cases of pillaging and rape have been reported.
And he denounced the recruitment by several of the groups of child fighters, hundreds of whom the UN says are sent to the front lines.
"I launch an appeal to all the parties (to) respect humanitarian law and protect civilian populations," Guterres said.
Nkunda claims to be defending Tutsis against Hutu rebels from neighbouring Rwanda.
He has rejected demands by Kinshasa and the UN to disarm, as well as by Washington to surrender and go into exile.