Geneva - The UN refugee agency on Friday urged the protection
of civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where government forces
and rebels have clashed for four months. Amid
reports of indiscriminate and summary killings of civilians, rape and torture,
"tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes in Nord
Kivu province, many of whom sought safety in neighbouring Uganda and
Rwanda," said UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic. Between April and 15 July, aid agencies recorded more
than 7 000 such incidents in Nord Kivu, the UNHCR said. "We fear there may be more cases, where people
were unable to speak out ... especially in rape cases," said Mahecic,
urging "protection of civilians" caught up in the violence.
In addition to ethnic violence, victims had
suffered arbitrary arrests, assaults, looting, extortion, destruction of
property and forced labour, he added.
Children arriving in Uganda told the aid agency they were fleeing a recruitment campaign. Reports said armed men were blocking escape routes for many of those fleeing to Uganda. Similar accounts have been related by arrivals in Rwanda, the UNHCR said. In total, more than 470 000 Congolese have been displaced in eastern DRC since April: 220 000 in North Kivu, 200 000 in South Kivu and at least 51 000 to neighbouring Uganda (31 600) and Rwanda (19 400). Congolese soldiers are fighting mutinous soldiers - Tutsi former rebels who were integrated into the regular army in 2009 as part of a peace deal that followed their failed 2008 offensive on the key DRC town of Goma. They mutinied in April, demanding better pay and the full implementation of the 23 March, 2009 peace deal after which they are named.
Kinshasa accuses Kigali of sponsoring the rebellion - a complaint supported by a UN panel, which said in June that Rwanda was supplying the rebels. Rwanda has repeatedly denied the accusations. Earlier this month, Congolese President Joseph Kabila and Rwandan President Paul Kagame agreed to deploy a joint task force to neutralise the M23 rebels.
Children arriving in Uganda told the aid agency they were fleeing a recruitment campaign. Reports said armed men were blocking escape routes for many of those fleeing to Uganda. Similar accounts have been related by arrivals in Rwanda, the UNHCR said. In total, more than 470 000 Congolese have been displaced in eastern DRC since April: 220 000 in North Kivu, 200 000 in South Kivu and at least 51 000 to neighbouring Uganda (31 600) and Rwanda (19 400). Congolese soldiers are fighting mutinous soldiers - Tutsi former rebels who were integrated into the regular army in 2009 as part of a peace deal that followed their failed 2008 offensive on the key DRC town of Goma. They mutinied in April, demanding better pay and the full implementation of the 23 March, 2009 peace deal after which they are named.
Kinshasa accuses Kigali of sponsoring the rebellion - a complaint supported by a UN panel, which said in June that Rwanda was supplying the rebels. Rwanda has repeatedly denied the accusations. Earlier this month, Congolese President Joseph Kabila and Rwandan President Paul Kagame agreed to deploy a joint task force to neutralise the M23 rebels.
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