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IRIN Africa | Great Lakes | DRC-RWANDA: Thousands of Congolese flee insecurity | Peace Security-Refugees IDPs | News Items

Monday 25 April 2005


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DRC-RWANDA: Thousands of Congolese flee insecurity

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

KIGALI, 22 Apr 2005 (IRIN) - At least 3,300 Congolese from North Kivu Province, eastern DRC, have fled into Rwanda since the beginning of April to escape insecurity caused by militiamen, a UN official told IRIN on Friday.

"As of this morning, we have received 700," Volker Schimmel, the spokesman for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.

Most of the arrivals were from Rutshuru and Masisi areas, to the north of Goma, the North Kivu provincial capital.

Schimmel said UNHCR had not yet confirmed the reasons why the refugees had fled. However, he added, they had spoken of atrocities committed by Rwandan Hutu rebel groups and members of the Congolese army.

The refugee agency is catering for the Congolese at transit centres in Rwanda's northwestern province of Gisenyi.

[ENDS]

Other recent DRC-RWANDA reports:

Interview with FDLR leader, Ignace Murwanashyaka, 5/Apr/05

Rebel group ready to disarm, 31/Mar/05

WFP warns of food shortage affecting 50,000 refugees, 24/Feb/05

Joint verification mechanism now operational, 10/Feb/05

Rwandan military in Goma for joint verification, 15/Dec/04

Other recent Peace Security-Refugees IDPs reports:

RWANDA: Refugees could be joining rebels, minister says, 21/Apr/05

CHAD-SUDAN: Governor urges UN to help local Chadians as well as Darfur refugees, 21/Apr/05

CAMEROON-NIGERIA: Repatriation of Nigerian refugees to start on Monday, 15/Apr/05

LIBERIA: Former soldiers who fled to Sierra Leone start coming home, 7/Apr/05

IRAQ: Displaced Arabs from Kirkuk in need of supplies, 7/Mar/05

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