U N I T E D N A T I O N S Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Integrated Regional Information Network for Central and Eastern Africa Tel: +254 2 622147 Fax: +254 2 622129 email: irin@ocha.unon.orgCentral and Eastern Africa IRIN-CEA Weekly Round-up 4 5 - 11 February 2000
CONTENTS: BURUNDI: Mandela meets Buyoya BURUNDI: Burundi regroupment camp closed BURUNDI: Rebel sources confirm fighting between Hutu groups RWANDA: Cooperation with ICTR resumed RWANDA: Rwanda involved in North Kasai fighting DRC: Heavy displacements continue in South Kivu DRC: SA denies backing rebels DRC: Security Council backs Annan's proposed force UGANDA: Uganda says it has captured 11 airstrips in DRC SUDAN: Riek Machar's resignation welcome - SPLM/A SUDAN: Aid workers freed ETHIOPIA-ERITREA: EU delegation, Moi visiting ETHIOPIA: MSF suspends programme in Ogaden region SOMALIA: MSF resumes operations in Kismayo SOMALIA: Fierce fighting reported in Buurhakaba DJIBOUTI: IGAD meets to consider Somali peace plan DJIBOUTI: Government, rebels sign peace deal CAR: Disgruntled militiamen protest again CAR: Security Council hails new UN mission ROC: Official trips to north banned BURUNDI: Mandela meets Buyoya Former South African president Nelson Mandela on Monday met Burundian President Pierre Buyoya in Cape Town, an official of the South African Department of Foreign Affairs told IRIN. Both Mandela and Buyoya, addressing journalists after their meeting, said they had made progress in steps to bring peace to Burundi. "I am very much encouraged," Mandela said. "The Burundians realise that the responsibility for bringing about peace is theirs." Buyoya called the meeting "very positive". "We have made a step in the understanding of the Burundi question and in the search for a solution. These consultations must continue." Mandela also said he hoped to meet rebel leader Colonel Jean-Bosco Ndayikengurukiye, the leader of the Conseil national pour la defense de la democratie (CNDD-FDD), who is also reported to be in South Africa. BURUNDI: Burundi regroupment camp closed A Burundi regroupment camp at Maramvya in Bujumbura Rurale was closed by the government on Monday, Burundi army spokesman Longin Minani told IRIN. He added the process of dismantling the controversial camps would "continue depending on security". "There are people who were excited about the destruction of the camp although several others refused to leave because they are afraid they would be attacked," Minani said. "For such, we allow them to stay on because it is our duty to protect them," he added. BURUNDI: Rebel sources confirm fighting between Hutu groups Burundian rebel sources confirmed to IRIN on Tuesday media reports of fierce fighting between mainly-Hutu Burundian and Rwandan rebel groups. The BBC had previously reported that more than 200 Rwandan rebels had been killed in the fighting. However on Tuesday Burundi state radio reported 100 had been killed in the fighting. A Burundi army spokesman said the army had sought to take advantage of the rift between the two groups by launching its own anti-rebel operations in the area. "Fighting between the two groups has been going on since the night of 31 January, our information is that they are fighting over dwindling resources. We have reacted by attacking both groups to force them to disband," Burundi army spokesman Longin Minani told IRIN on Tuesday. The main Burundian rebel group, CNDD-FDD, denied involvement in the fighting. "Our forces are not involved in the fighting, the last time we fought it was against government troops," Jerome Ndiho, FDD spokesman told IRIN on Tuesday. RWANDA: Cooperation with ICTR resumed Rwanda has resumed cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) following talks between Vice-President Paul Kagame and ICTR Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte. Government officials admitted the tribunal was making progress. "We are aware of the shortcomings of the tribunal, but they cannot be blamed on the Chief Prosecutor. She is certainly making progress," Gerald Gahima, the Rwandan Prosecutor-General, told IRIN on Thursday. Rwanda temporarily halted cooperation over the Appeals Court's decision to drop charges against a genocide suspect. RWANDA: Rwanda involved in North Kasai fighting Rwanda has for the first time since the signing of the Lusaka ceasefire agreement last year confirmed that its troops have engaged Congolese government forces and their allies in North Kasai province. "We exercised maximum restraint until Kabila and his allies moved from their positions and attacked us. This action is to register our concern with the way ceasefire violators are being treated," Major Emmanuel Ndahiro, adviser to the Rwandan Vice-President Paul Kagame, told IRIN on Tuesday. The government of President Laurent-Desire Kabila has so far made no comment on the allegations of renewed fighting. DRC: Heavy displacements continue in South Kivu Humanitarian sources report large numbers of people are still being displaced in South Kivu due to an upsurge in fighting between various rebel and anti-rebel groups. According to some sources, around 10,000 people have fled from Kalonge towards Bukavu in the last 10 days. They say that exodus has most likely been triggered by Interahamwe activity around the northeastern edge of the Kahuzi-Biega national park. The sources also report that more people are now fleeing from the area around Shabunda where fighting is believed to be taking place deep in the forest. There, the movements are believed to have been triggered by the activities of a mixture of Mayi-Mayi and Interahamwe and reprisal actions from the forces of the rebel Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD) and their allies of the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA). The situation in and around Uvira is also believed to have deteriorated sharply since mid-December with unconfirmed reports saying some 50,000 displaced people are now in the bush between Makobola, Luberizi and Bwegera and in a poor condition. DRC: SA denies backing rebels South Africa's foreign affairs ministry has dismissed claims that the government is arming Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) rebels fighting to overthrow President Laurent-Desire Kabila. The allegation, which echoes a similar accusation levelled at South Africa by Kabila himself, was made by Bantu Holomisa, leader of South Africa's opposition United Democratic Movement. Foreign Ministry spokesman Khangelani Hlongwane told IRIN on Friday: "There is no truth in claims made by President Kabila or Bantu Holomisa that South Africa is arming rebels anywhere in Africa. The South African government's commitment to eradicating conflicts on our continent is well-known and has been proved by our continuous engagement in conflict resolution efforts in Africa." DRC: Security Council backs Annan's proposed force Security Council members last Friday expressed support for Secretary-General Kofi Annan's recent proposal for a UN force in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They, however, voiced deep concern over reports of recent massacres in eastern DRC and condemned "all human rights abuses in the country". Annan had recommended the deployment of some 5,537 peacekeepers in four reinforced infantry groups. According to Assistant-Secretary-General Hedi Annabi the troops would not serve as an "interposition force" nor would they be expected to extract military observers or civilian personnel. "The force would not have the capacity to protect the civilian population from armed attack," UN spokesman Fred Eckhard quoted him as saying. UGANDA: Uganda says it has captured 11 airstrips in DRC The Ugandan army has told IRIN it has taken control of 11 airstrips in eastern DRC to try and cut its foes' supply lines. "We have taken over some small airstrips in eastern Congo in order to stop our enemies from using them to bring in supplies, this is in addition to the big ones like Beni, Bunia, Butembo and Kisangani. It is line with our broader strategic objective of denying our enemies' supply lines," Captain Shaban Bantariza, the Ugandan army spokesman in western Uganda, said. Uganda is fighting rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) on its western border and accuses both the Sudanese and Congolese governments of giving logistical support to the ADF. Uganda, itself, has sent troops into eastern DRC to support rebels fighting Kabila's government. SUDAN: Riek Machar's resignation welcome - SPLM/A The rebel SPLM/A has welcomed the resignation of the leader of the pro-government South Sudan Defence Forces (SSDF) Riek Machar as assistant president, chairman of the governing council in south Sudan and also as leader of the United Democratic Salvation Front (UDSF). "We welcome what he has done and hope that others will follow suit," the movement's spokesman Samson Kwaje confirmed to IRIN on Wednesday. "It is good he has realised that the government is not sincere and can never live by its word," he added. "We have not yet made contact with him [Machar] so we do not know what plans he has," Kwaje said. The Sudan government, for its part, described Machar's resignation as "unfortunate" and unjustifiable". Machar resigned last week, citing the government's failure to implement aspects of the peace accord it reached with a number of southern factions, including his own SSDF, in April 1997. SUDAN: Aid workers freed Four aid workers, abducted by pro-government militia last week in the Fanjak area of Sudan's Upper Nile region, were freed on Thursday. Earlier, a UN official in Khartoum told IRIN the abductees, an American, two Kenyans and a Sudanese were "fine" and "well taken care of". Following the abductions, the UN suspended aid flights to Upper Nile region on Monday. ETHIOPIA-ERITREA: EU delegation, Moi visiting A mediator from the European Union, deputy Italian premier Rino Serri, has been visiting Ethiopia and Eritrea in a bid to resolve the border dispute between the two countries. The PANA news agency said he arrived in Ethiopia on Monday, after spending three days in Eritrea. He met leaders of both countries, as well as OAU Secretary-General Salim Ahmed Salim. According to a BBC report, few details of the discussions have emerged, but both sides have reportedly welcomed Serri's visit. Meanwhile, Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi is also on a visit to the two countries to discuss the conflict. According to Kenyan radio, he stressed that insecurity in the Horn would also adversely affect Kenya and Ethiopia who share a common border. ETHIOPIA: MSF suspends programme in Ogaden region Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) has suspended its programme in Degeh Bur after an MSF team came under attack in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia on Monday. According to an MSF press release, one person was killed and another badly injured when a group of 10 heavily-armed men jumped out of the bush and opened fire on the vehicle which was carrying three passengers. They were travelling from Jijiga to Degeh Bur. MSF pointed out this was the third incident in the Ogaden region in the last 12 months in which humanitarian workers have been targeted. MSF staff in Degeh Bur have been evacuated back to Addis Ababa and programmes such as health and water and sanitation have been put on hold. SOMALIA: MSF resumes operations in Kismayo Meanwhile, MSF-Belgium has resumed activities in the Kismayo region of Somalia following a week-long assessment to Kismayo general hospital from 20 to 26 January. It suspended activities on 1 December 1999 due to security concerns. MSF expatriates had already pulled out in June 1999. In a press release, MSF said it considered that the minimum conditions required to resume activities had been met by the community. SOMALIA: Fierce fighting reported in Buurhakaba There has been fierce fighting in the south-central town of Buurhakaba where the situation is described as very tense, according to the 'Xog-Ogaal' newspaper. It quoted the spokesman of the newly-formed Rahanweyn Salvation Army (RSA) as saying the group's forces clashed with those of the Rahanweyn Resistance Army (RRA) last weekend, resulting in casualties. Three RRA technicals were blown up by landmines, the spokesman said. He claimed the RSA was in control of Buurhakaba town. DJIBOUTI: IGAD meets to consider Somali peace plan The regional Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), trying to coordinate peace efforts for Somalia, met in Djiobuti on Monday and endorsed Djibouti President Ismael Omar Gelleh's peace plan for Somalia. According to the Hargeisa newspaper 'Jamhuuriya', details of the plan were released by the Djibouti government. These include a national Somali reconciliation conference to be held in Djibouti from 20 April to 5 May which will elect parliamentary members to be based in Mogadishu. These MPs will elect a president and approve the nomination of prime minister who will then set up a transitional government for a period not exceeding two years. DJIBOUTI: Government, rebels sign peace deal The Djibouti government and the rebel Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD) have signed a peace deal in Paris calling for an end to hostilities and the release of prisoners, AFP reported. It quoted FRUD leader Ali Gelleh Aboubaker as saying the agreement, signed on Monday, "will progressively pave the way for a long-lasting and just peace in Djibouti". AFP recalled that FRUD, made up of the Afar ethnic group, initiated an armed rebellion against the government in 1991 and split into two factions, one of which entered a power-sharing deal with the government in 1993. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Disgruntled militiamen protest again Several hundred militiamen recruited by President Ange-Felix Patasse during past rebellions in the country staged a protest march in Bangui last Friday demanding integration into the army, AFP reported. It said heavily armed riot police stopped the marchers close to the headquarters of the ruling Central African People's Liberation Movement (MLPC) as they headed for the presidential palace. A similar protest march was held last month. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Security Council hails new UN mission The UN Security Council on Thursday welcomed Secretary-General Kofi Annan's decision to establish a UN Peace-Building Office in CAR (BONUCA) on 15 February, when the mandate of the current UN mission MINURCA expires. In a statement, it noted that the CAR government had accepted the proposed one-year BONUCA mission whose main tasks would be to support the government's efforts to consolidate peace and national reconciliation, strengthen democratic institutions and support economic recovery. The statement urged the CAR government to continue with the economic reforms agreed with international financial institutions, while calling on donors to support the government's efforts. REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Official trips to north banned The ROC government has banned all official trips to the north of the country because of insecurity caused by fighting in neighbouring DRC, AFP reported citing a military source. It said the ban covered territory stretching along the Oubangui river border with the DRC and up to Dongou on the border with CAR, specifically between Dongou and Betou. DRC rebels of the Mouvement de liberation du Congo (MLC) are battling DRC government forces and clashes have been reported across the Oubangui river. Nairobi, 11 February 2000, 13:45 gmt [IRIN-CEA: Tel: +254 2 622147 Fax: +254 2 622129 e-mail: irin-cea@ocha.unon.org ] [This item is delivered in the English service of the UN's IRIN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations. For further information, free subscriptions, or to change your keywords, contact e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org or Web: http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN . 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