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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

DRC: UN condemns recent fighting in Tchomia and Kasenyi, Ituri

NAIROBI, 21 July 2003 (IRIN) - The UN has condemned recent fighting in the areas of Tchomia and Kasenyi in the troubled Ituri District of northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Following an investigation on Saturday into reports of recent fighting, the UN Mission in the DRC, known as MONUC, said on Monday that it "vigorously deplored" the fighting, which constituted "a flagrant violation" of the ceasefire accord recently signed in Dar es Salaam, by all parties to the conflict. It called on all parties for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the protection of civilians.

MONUC said that its inquiry revealed that "violent fighting" in Tchomia on 15 July had resulted in "major destruction" of property, including the pillaging of the local hospital and the torching of about 250 homes. It reported that witnesses said the attack had been carried out by an ethnic Lendu militia that came from the villages of Zumbe and Loga.

MONUC cited a "local source" in Tchomia as saying that 80 civilians had been killed and another 80 had been abducted by the militias. Two women who had been raped, and 20 wounded civilians and soldiers had been evacuated to neighbouring Uganda for treatment.

MONUC recalled that Tchomia had previously come under attack on 31 May, leaving its estimated 2,000 people without medical aid and with limited food supplies.

As for Kasenyi, which came under fire on 18 and 19 July, MONUC reported that residents said that the majority of the population had fled for their lives. They said that three residents were killed while another three were abducted.

Tchomia and Kasenyi are 45 km and 52 km east of Bunia, the main town of Ituri District, where economically driven ethnic strife between Hema and Lendu militias caused between 200,000 and 350,000 people to flee when fighting worsened in May, according to humanitarian sources.

Due to prevailing insecurity, MONUC has been unable to deploy military observers outside of Bunia, while an EU-led peace enforcement mission sent to reinforce MONUC is not mandated to act outside of the town.

Theme(s): (IRIN) Conflict

[ENDS]

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