ersistent insecurity in the eastern North Kivu province has led to the displacement of an estimated 650,000 civilians, based on estimates of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, indicating that it is the largest number to be displaced due to the conflict in the region in the past three years.
According to Jens Hesemann, spokesman for UNHCR, since the start of 2007 there have been around 163,000 new internally displaced persons (IDP), representing the worst situation since 2004. The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC – present with over 20,000 peacekeepers and civil personnel) in the past days denounced daily violence against civilians in different areas of North Kivu by the rebels of the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda – accused of involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide) and soldiers of the combined brigades (national army and former rebels) present in east ex-Zaire.
The largest number of IDP’s were registered in 2006, fleeing from attacks of the militias loyal to Laurent Nkunda, a dissident general tied to the Rwandan government and accused of war crimes in this zone of DR-Congo.
Despite the end of the conflict (1998-2003) and the small political progress in Kinshasa – with relatively peaceful legislative and presidential elections – in eastern DR-Congo civilians continue being targeted by systematic violence by armed groups that the military and UN mission have failed to eradicate, mainly engaged in illegal trafficking of mineral resources into
neighboring countries.
(From MISNA)