1000s flee DRC poll riots
2006-11-20 21:42
Kinshasa - More than 2 000 civilians from western Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have fled across the Congo River to escape fighting between supporters of rival presidential contenders, said the United Nations on Monday.
The clashes in DRC's Equateur province occurred days after electoral authorities last week announced a provisional result giving victory in a October 29 presidential run-off to incumbent President Joseph Kabila.
His rival, former rebel chief Jean-Pierre Bemba, has rejected Kabila's victory and filed a complaint of fraud with the supreme court, which must certify the election result for it to become valid.
"I can confirm that some people have fled into the Republic of Congo. We estimate that there are between 2 000 and 2 500," said Jens Hesemann, spokesperson for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kinshasa.
War triggered huge humanitarian crisis
"They fled due to fighting in Equateur province. From what we gather, it was between supporters of the different presidential candidates," he added.
Although details were still sketchy, he said the clashes took place at Bolobo, 280km upriver from the DRC capital Kinshasa.
The elections in Congo were the first free polls in the vast, former Belgian colony in more than 40 years.
They crowned a peace process ending a 1998-2003 war. The war triggered a huge humanitarian crisis that has killed more than four million people through violence, hunger and disease.
- Reuters