• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

DRC: Persistent fighting around Butembo leaves thousands displaced

NAIROBI, 12 August 2003 (IRIN) - Persistent fighting between Mayi-Mayi militias and the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie-Kisangani/Mouvement de liberation (RCD-K/ML) former rebel movement around the town of Butembo in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has forced thousands to flee for safety, NGO German Agro Action (GAA) reported on Tuesday.

"We are distributing today a monthly food ration for another wave of 1,066 IDP [internally displaced persons] families in Butembo," Kay Grulich, GAA's Butembo project manager, told IRIN.

Grulich said the IDPs came from South Lubero, about 60 km south of Butembo, and Ituri District, about 120 km north of Butembo. "In total, we have so far 3,500 IDP families in Butembo," Grulich said.

Heavy fighting in Ituri District has in recent months forced thousands to flee south to North Kivu Province, seeking refuge notably in and around Butembo, about 200 km south of Bunia, the main town of Ituri.

Grulich added that a distribution of blankets and other non-food items was planned for next week.

Tensions between the Mayi-Mayi and RCD-K/ML appear to be due at least in part to the latter's attempts to disarm the former.

Fighting with heavy weaponry between Mayi-Mayi militias and the RCD-K/ML erupted 3 July. At the time, RCD-K/ML authorities said that it was a matter of certain elements resisting a disarmament operation being conducted, and that the town remained fully under their control. Other reports said, however, that the Mayi-Mayi militia had taken control of Butembo.

On Tuesday, GAA said that insecurity prevailed in many areas surrounding Butembo, and warned that health and food problems would increase if the instability was left unchecked. As an example, it cited the area of Kikire, some 35 km outside of Butembo, where the local population was sleeping in the forest, with the rainy season having just begun.

Mayi-Mayi militias and the RCD-K/ML are represented in the DRC's recently-inaugurated two-year transitional government.

Theme(s): (IRIN) Conflict

[ENDS]

The material contained on this Web site comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post any item on this site, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include attribution to the original sources. All graphics and Images on this site may not be re-produced without the express permission of the original owner. All materials copyright © UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2003