DATE=8/24/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=U-N-H-C-R - CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE (L UPDATE)
NUMBER=2-253080
BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN
DATELINE=GENEVA
CONTENT=
/// EDS: This report updates CR 2-253073, changes in
intro and kills graph six of text ///
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The United Nations Refugee Agency, U-N-H-C-R,
says it is bracing for a possible heavy influx of
refugees from Congo-Brazzaville into neighboring
Gabon. Lisa Schlein in Geneva reports the agency is
sending additional staff to its office in Tchibanga
and plans to open an additional office in Gabon (in
Franceville) in anticipation of the heavier refugee
load.
TEXT: The U-N Refugee Agency reports the number of
refugees in Gabon has not grown significantly since
the first groups of Congolese crossed into the country
in early July. An estimated 20-thousand refugees are
currently in the capital, Libreville, and scattered in
other parts of the country.
But U-N-H-C-R Spokesman Paul Stromberg says his agency
has received information that tens of thousands of
other Congolese are waiting out the fighting in the
dense forest on both sides of the border.
He says refugees who have entered Gabon have told aid
workers they have witnessed atrocities committed
against civilians by the militias fighting the
national army.
/// STROMBERG ACT ///
We don't have that much information right now
from the groups that have moved into Gabon
simply because so many of them are still in
hiding. But, many of the people who have made
their way and who we've been able to interview
in Gabon have said that they've witnessed
killings at roadblocks, that children have been
forced to kill their parents. We have no
idea of the scope of this yet.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Stromberg says the refugees all say horrible
crimes have been committed against civilians. They
say the rebel soldiers are committing these acts to
intimidate civilians and to control their movements as
part of a tactic in their fight against the
government.
The U-N is planning to send two freight containers of
emergency relief supplies to Gabon by the end of the
month from its West African stocks. (Signed)
NEB/LS/JWH/KL
24-Aug-1999 12:18 PM EDT (24-Aug-1999 1618 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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