Thousands of Congolese flee
2005-11-23 08:45
Kinshasa - Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes and are living in hastily constructed reed huts in a southeast Congo state where government troops are battling militia fighters, United Nations radio and officials said Tuesday.
Government soldiers began sweeping Mayi-Mayi militiamen from central Katanga Province last week, sparking mass flight among civilians living near the fighting, UN Spokesperson Kemal Saiki said.
UN radio reported that about 50 000 people had fled their homes and were huddling in twig and reed shelters without humanitarian assistance.
The Kinshasa government is trying to regain control of the vast central African nation ahead of elections scheduled for next year, the first vote since the end of a 1998-2003 war that left an estimated three million dead, largely from strife-induced hunger and disease.
- AP