DATE=2/18/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=UNHCR / CONGO-BRAZAVILLE (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-259315
BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN
DATELINE=GENEVA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The United Nations refugee agency, U-N-H-C-R,
says thousands of refugees have fled fighting between
government and rebel troops in Congo-Kinshasa. Lisa
Schlein in Geneva reports the agency says the refugees
have fled from the northern province of Equateur
across the Ubangi River into Congo-Brazzaville.
TEXT: The United Nations refugee agency says up to
15-thousand Congolese have fled over the past few
weeks. It says they are now scattered along a 400-
kilometer stretch of the river on the Congo-
Brazzaville side.
U-N-H-C-R spokesman, Ron Redmond, says civilians have
been fleeing fighting between government troops and
the advancing rebel forces of Jean Pierre Mbemba, who
is backed by Uganda.
/// REDMOND ACT ///
The refugees have crossed the river to seek
asylum in the area of Impfondo in Congo-
Brazzaville. Most of the refugees say the rebel
forces are "liberators" and they say they are
fleeing alleged violence and harassment by
retreating government forces.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Redmond says the U-N refugee agency has opened an
office in Impfondo, which is about one-thousand
kilometers north of the capital, Brazzaville. He says
the office will make it easier for aid workers to help
the refugees. He says so far, aid workers have access
to a majority of the refugees, who are concentrated
between Impfondo and Dongou, and have managed to
register nearly 11-thousand refugees.
/// 2ND REDMOND ACT ///
The terrain is difficult. There's also problems
getting fuel up there and increasing security,
so we're unable to go beyond Dongou to the
northern town of Betou, where there are even
thousands more refugees.
/// END ACT ///
U-N refugee spokesman Redmond says the refugees are
largely self-sufficient. He says they are able to
support themselves by fishing. As a consequence, he
says the refugees are not settled in camps. Instead,
they are living among the local population.
He says the U-N refugee agency is assisting the
refugees by providing them with items such as plastic
sheeting, blankets and fishing nets. He says they
also have been supplied with medicines and vaccines
for children. He says until now, the refugees have
not needed any food assistance. (Signed)
NEB/LS/GE/ENE/JO
18-Feb-2000 11:11 AM EDT (18-Feb-2000 1611 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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