SOME 10,000 FLEE CONGO TO UGANDA !
The refugees say they are fleeing Gen Nkunda militia. The UN is investigating reports that some 10,000 Congolese refugees have fled insecurity fuelled by militia loyal to Gen Laurent Nkunda to Uganda.
The exodus began on Tuesday and many are being put up in schools and homes close to the border in Kisoro District.
Local authorities say some have crossed back into the Democratic Republic of Congo in search of water and materials and may return on Wednesday evening.
Uganda already hosts about 29,000 refugees from its troubled neighbour.
Eastern DR Congo remains unstable despite polls last year that marked the end of a civil war.
Fear
A joint team of UN and Uganda government officials has gone to investigate the situation along Uganda's south-west border with DR Congo.
Local authorities say they believe those who returned to DR Congo will go back to Kisoro by the evening as they left most of their belongings at a primary school in Bunagana town where many sought shelter.
According to the UN's refugee agency, the refugees say they fled from militia loyal to Gen Nkunda, the army officer who has been behind much of the instability in eastern DR Congo in recent years.
An ethnic Tutsi, he has in the past been supported by Rwanda.
Repeated attempts to dislodge him have failed and he has refused to fully integrate his forces into the national army, citing a need to protect the Tutsi population.
The UN has provided assistance to more than 15,000 Congolese who have fled from North Kivu to Uganda over the last two years.
BBC NEWS REPORT.
The exodus began on Tuesday and many are being put up in schools and homes close to the border in Kisoro District.
Local authorities say some have crossed back into the Democratic Republic of Congo in search of water and materials and may return on Wednesday evening.
Uganda already hosts about 29,000 refugees from its troubled neighbour.
Eastern DR Congo remains unstable despite polls last year that marked the end of a civil war.
Fear
A joint team of UN and Uganda government officials has gone to investigate the situation along Uganda's south-west border with DR Congo.
Local authorities say they believe those who returned to DR Congo will go back to Kisoro by the evening as they left most of their belongings at a primary school in Bunagana town where many sought shelter.
According to the UN's refugee agency, the refugees say they fled from militia loyal to Gen Nkunda, the army officer who has been behind much of the instability in eastern DR Congo in recent years.
An ethnic Tutsi, he has in the past been supported by Rwanda.
Repeated attempts to dislodge him have failed and he has refused to fully integrate his forces into the national army, citing a need to protect the Tutsi population.
The UN has provided assistance to more than 15,000 Congolese who have fled from North Kivu to Uganda over the last two years.
posted by jackaranda at 4:41 pm
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