200 000 living in DRC bush

2008-11-25 11:48

Kinshasa - More than 200 000 people have been living in the bush in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo for the past week, hiding in fear of the battle between rebels and government troops, according to the United Nations.

An evaulation team from the UN mission in DR Congo, Monuc, which returned to Kinshasa at the weekend after visiting towns at the centre of the conflict in Nord-Kivu province, reported the tens of thousands living in the open bush, Monuc said in a statement released on Monday.

"They are afraid that the towns might be taken by the CNDP (National Congress for the Defence of the People rebels) or uncontrolled factions" of the Congolese army, the statement said.

The people in the bush "lack assistance because humanitarian organisations do not have the necessary security guarantees to return to work" in that region, Monuc said.

Monuc spokesperson Madnodje Mounoubai told AFP that part of those living in the bush would be included in the figure of 250 000 people displaced by the fighting since the end of August.

The Monuc statement also said its team has documented serious cases of violence and human rights violations, as well as the recruitment of children by armed groups, which were not named.

The towns of Kanyabayonga, Kayna and Kirumba caught in the conflict are located about one hundred kilometres northwest of Goma, the regional capital of Nord-Kivu. For the past few weeks the region has been hit with looting and violence by some Congolese soldiers

Since Friday, there have been no reports of major fighting in Nord-Kivu but the situation remains tense as rebel forces are dug in some 15km north of Goma.

- AFP