U N I T E D   N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
email: irin@ocha.unon.org
Tel: +254 2 622147
Fax: +254 2 622129
e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org


CENTRAL AND EASTERN AFRICA
IRIN-CEA Weekly Round-up 43
21 - 27 October 2000



CONTENTS:

DRC: Tension in Bunia
DRC: "All sides guilty of rights violations" UN report
DRC: Goma rebels accuse government of Katanga attack
REPUBLIC OF CONGO: New hope for access to DRC refugees
RoC: Disarmament and reconciliation still major tasks
GREAT LAKES: UN considers peace and security mechanism
UGANDA: Ebola deaths continue to rise
RWANDA: Minister urges public vigilance against Ebola
RWANDA: No "full" human rights culture - UN team says
BURUNDI: Negotiatiing sides to meet in Arusha
BURUNDI: Displaced persons in need of urgent assistance
EAST AFRICA: Food security still critical

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Tension in Bunia

The rebel group which controls the northeastern Bunia area has warned the
situation there is spiralling "out of control". The office of Ernest Wamba
dia Wamba, leader of the Rassemblement congolais pour la
democratie-Mouvement de liberation (RCD-ML), told IRIN on Wednesday that
Ugandan troops opposed to him had taken control of Bunia's airport and
radio station and were trying to overthrow the movement's leadership.
Colette Ramm, Wamba's cabinet director, said Ugandan troops supporting
Wamba's rivals in the movement had been deployed in the area and top
commanders replaced. She said the move was backed by some senior Ugandan
military officers who were "protecting their interests in DRC" and
bemoaned the fact that the current Ugandan commander, Colonel Angina, who
had the support of the Congolese people, was being recalled. "The
situation is very tense," she said. "The Ugandans are making changes we
didn't ask for... it's going to be hard to contain the bloodshed." She
stressed that Wamba's group was "very vulnerable".

Wamba is facing a mutiny within his movement from his erstwhile deputies,
Atenyi Tibasima and Mbusa Nyamwisi. They were sacked by their leader
earlier this year for allegedly plotting a rebellion against him, and
Wamba's supporters say they are being used by Ugandan military officials
who have their own interests in the DRC.  The dispute between the two
former deputies and Wamba led to fighting between militias supporting them
and Ugandan army units, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths.

DRC: "All sides guilty of rights violations - UN report

Widespread human rights violations were continuing in the DRC, the UN
Special Rapporteur on the rights situation in the country, Roberto
Garreton, stated on 20 October. Garreton's report criticised the human
rights records of all of the parties in the country's conflicts, and said
none had fully respected last year's Lusaka ceasefire agreement, according
to a UN press statement. Torture, the detention of political prisoners,
lack of freedom of expression and the lack of due process were problems
shared by all sides, according to the rapporteur, who also said that
politically motivated imprisonment of ministers and other senior officials
was continuing despite an amnesty issued by Kinshasa.

"Torture is practised by all parties, and in many instances it has
resulted in death," Garreton said. In government-controlled territory,
there were a few newspapers with limited circulation and whose journalists
were regularly harassed, but in territory held by the rebel Rassemblement
congolais pour la democratie (RCD), there were no opposition newspapers,
and the few independent radio stations had been shut down, censored or
prevented from broadcasting any news programmes other than the official
ones, the report added.

Reacting to the report, representatives of the DRC, Rwanda, Uganda and
Burundi at the UN General Assembly's Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian
and Cultural) on Wednesday claimed that Garreton's report contained
inaccuracies. The DRC held that the Special Rapporteur's claim of human
rights violations must be taken in the context of any country that was
subject to violations [from outside] of its people's rights, a UN press
release stated. Rwanda said the report had made allegations against Rwanda
that were not tenable. Uganda said it would take remedial steps if
wrongdoing on the human rights front could be proven against it. Burundi
said it had neither attacked the DRC nor posed a human rights threat to
it. Rather, the DRC army had made incursions into Burundi, along with the
Rwandan Interahamwe militia, it said.

DRC: Goma rebels accuse government of Katanga attack

The Goma-based Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD) on Monday
said government and allied forces had attacked RCD positions "as far as
2,000 km into Katanga Province, eastern DRC, beyond the front line at the
time of the signing of the Lusaka peace agreement", rebel-controlled Goma
radio quoted RCD's foreign affairs chief, Adolphe Omusumba, as saying.
AFP quoted RCD spokesman Kin Kiey Mulumba as saying government forces had
bombed the town of Moba, and that Kalungu, which is near Moba, was also
hit by the home-made bombs allegedly dropped from several of Kabila's
Antonovs.

DRC Communications Minister Dominique Sakombi Inongo, however, dismissed
the rebels' claims as "lies". He said pro-government forces could not have
attacked Moba, as well as three other places which were allegedly bombed,
Pepa, Ankora and Balanga, since these were all in "government hands".

REPUBLIC OF CONGO: New hope for access to DRC refugees

A breakthrough three-way meeting between Republic of Congo government
officials and officials of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and
UNHCR on 17 October would soon be followed by technical meetings which
should provide a framework for humanitarian assistance to DRC refugees
along the banks of the Oubangui River, which separates the neighbouring
Congo states, UNOCHA reported on Monday. Access to the refugees had been
impossible until now for security reasons, it said. The security situation
had led the UNHCR to withdraw indefinitely its international staff from
Loukolela and Impfondo, on the RoC side of the Oubangui, because fighting
on the DRC side of the river [between the DRC army and the rebel Mouvement
de liberation du congo (MLC)] threatened their security, OCHA said. The
NGO, Medecins sans frontieres (France), which recently set up a field
office in Njoundou (Likouala), had also decided to stop its assistance in
that region because of security problems, it added.

Meanwhile, a UNHCR team had travelled through the Central African Republic
(CAR)to Betou in the extreme north of RoC, where more than 30,000 refugees
were gathered, to set up a field office, the report said. The agency
intended to further assess the situation in Betou, near the border with
the CAR, and to elaborate an assistance plan, it added. [for full report,
go to:  <http://www.reliefweb.int/>]

RoC: Disarmament and reintegration still major tasks

All areas of the Republic of Congo were now accessible to humanitarian
assistance without apparent security problems, except for those in the
north hosting some 100,000 DRC refugees, according to a recent UNICEF
report. The two major threats to the peace process were the weapons still
held by ex-combatants, and the task of reintegrating in society the
ex-combatants and militias, the donor update, published in mid-October,
stated.  "Developing a comprehensive reintegration programme is a priority
issue which needs to be addressed for sustainable peace", but massive
funding shortfalls precluded many urgently needed activities, it added.

Large numbers of idle and dropout adolescents desperately needed
assistance and guidance, some 700,000 formerly displaced people needed
urgent assistance to resettle and return to normal life, and urgent health
needs were reflected in "soaring morbidity and mortality" (especially in
the interior and war-affected areas), the report stated. "The current
HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is around 8 percent, with alarming indications of
up to 20 percent in recently-secured areas, for a national estimated total
of 100,000 sero-positive persons," it added. The major constraints it
identified in the RoC were inadequate funding, major logistical problems -
especially in the interior, access and security problems in the north, and
inadequate government capacity.

GREAT LAKES: UN considers peace and security mechanism

The UN General Assembly's First Committee (Disarmament and International
Security) will this week consider a draft resolution, introduced and
sponsored by Central African countries, which is intended to reaffirm UN
support for confidence-building measures to further peace, stability and
sustainable development in the region and its subregions.

The draft text, introduced by Burundi and on which work was to have begun
on Wednesday, provides for the Assembly to welcome the creation by a
Summit Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Central African
Countries in Cameroon in February 1999 of a mechanism to be known as the
Council for Peace and Security in Central Africa, and to request the UN
Secretary-General to give his full support to the effective realisation of
that council. The proposed resolution would also emphasise the need to
make the early-warning mechanism in Central Africa operational, and
request the Secretary-General to provide it with the assistance necessary
for it to function properly, according to a UN statement on the
proceedings of the First Committee.

UGANDA: Ebola deaths continue to rise

On Thursday, a World Health Organisation (WHO) press release quoted the
Ugandan Ministry of Health as reporting 182 cases of Ebola fever including
64 deaths. No further deaths had been reported in the previous 24 hours.
According to an Action Against Hunger (AGH) press release the same day,
the organisation was "actively assisting" in the international response to
the outbreak. Urgent steps continued to be taken to prevent the spread of
the disease. To this end, "field teams are actively searching within the
district for existing cases", the press release said. It also praised the
Ugandan health ministry for its "efficiency" in coordinating action to
contain the outbreak.

Earlier, on Monday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that
tests carried out at the National Institute for Virology (NIV) in South
Africa had established that the strain of the ebola outbreak in Gulu "is
similar, but not identical, to 'Ebola-Sudan' which broke out in southern
Sudan in 1976 and 1979". This strain caused a case fatality rate of
between 50 percent and 70 percent, but was less virulent than the
'Ebola-Zaire' strain, which had caused various epidemics in the now-DRC
and Gabon, with a fatality rate of 70 percent to 90 percent.

RWANDA: Minister urges public vigilance against Ebola

Rwandan Health Minister Ezekias Rwabuhihi told the population to be
"cautious" following the Ebola outbreak in the Gulu region in northern
Uganda. Rwandan Radio said that he gave information pertaining to the
"origins and symptoms" of the deadly virus. He asked people to
"immediately"  take to hospital any sick person showing symptoms of the
virus. Although no case has yet been reported in Rwanda, the minister
warned that preventive measures were necessary.

RWANDA: No "full" human rights culture - UN team says

UN Special Representative of the Commission on Human Rights in Rwanda
Michel Mousalli, who carried out three missions to the country this year,
noted that there was not yet a "full" culture of human rights in Rwanda.
The missions, carried out in the "light of the evolution of the human
rights situation in the country", noted that Rwanda's complex nature -
owing to the relatively recent genocide, its post-crisis political and
socioeconomic structure and extreme poverty - made reconstruction,
reconciliation and recovery an "extremely difficult" challenge, a note by
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan posted on the UN website said. Mousalli,
however, said he was "deeply gratified" that Rwanda was stepping out of
the shadow of genocide and laying the foundation for the transition to
democracy. He said that the government should also be commended for its
efforts to eradicate ethnic labels and to promote reconciliation.

According to him, the regional crisis remains relevant and extremely
disturbing, because the ongoing conflicts there create a deep feeling of
insecurity and fear among the population, and prevent efforts at
reconciliation and the promotion of human rights. He noted that the "time
is ripe for a major breakthrough". Mousalli recommended, among other
measures, that the Ministry of Interior should honour its commitment to
provide food and medical care to prisoners, that the ministry should adopt
a budget for food and access to medical facilities for those detainees,
and that the Ministry of Justice should give priority to those who have
confessed to participation in the genocides. He further recommends that
the government should meet the criticism of the local defence forces by
offering a clear explanation of their role, training and chain of command.

BURUNDI: Negotiating sides to meet in Arusha

Peace Process Minister Ambroise Niyonsaba has announced that the 19 sides
which signed the Arusha peace accord in August are to meet in the northern
Tanzanian town during the first week of November, Burundi radio reported.
He was speaking at a news conference during which he warned rebel groups
that the government would "fight fire with fire" if they shunned the peace
process. Meanwhile, a government delegation which was due to leave for
South Africa at the weekend for talks with rebel leaders, has put its
mission on hold until it is sure the rebel chiefs will be present. Three
previous missions have proved abortive as the direct negotiations failed
to take place.

BURUNDI: Displaced persons in need of urgent assistance

Administrative sources in Cankuzo Province, eastern Burundi, said on
Monday that "urgent" assistance was needed in centres for displaced people
in Cankuzo, Burundi news agency ABP reported. The displacement had been
caused by attacks by "armed groups from Tanzania" since July, it said. The
assailants had reportedly killed people, looted their property, burned
down houses and killed and maimed livestock. "This has led to thousands of
hungry people of all ethnic groups, men as well as women, children and old
people, finding themselves without shelter and being forced into centres
for the displaced, where urgent assistance would greatly help reduce their
suffering," it said. A humanitarian source in Bujumbura confirmed to IRIN
on Wednesday that they had heard of displacement of "high proportions" in
Cankuzo, but "no adequate numbers are available yet".

EAST AFRICA: Food insecurity still critical

As the UN marked World Food Day last week, international organisations
noted that five million people remain highly food insecure Kenya, Uganda
and Tanzania. All three countries figure in the most deprived group
contained in the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO)'s report, State
of Food Insecurity in the World (SOFI).

Drought in the eastern and western districts of Kenya continues to affect
the level of livestock mortalities. The livelihood of pastoralists will be
threatened if the coming rainy season fails. The agriculture ministry has
indicated a 40 percent downfall in maize production for the 2000 harvest
season compared to average production in the 1990s.  According to the
World Food Programme (WFP), an additional 700,000 people have been
affected since the UN launched an appeal in June targeting 2.2 million
people.

In neighbouring Tanzania, 1.3 million people are currently suffering from
food insecurity, WFP pointed out. It is feared that livestock-dependent
populations in northern and southeastern Tanzania may suffer increasing
food insecurity as weather forecasts indicate a below-normal short rainy
season.  The implications of a below normal 'vuli' season would vary by
area, a FEWS spokesman told IRIN.  Worst-affected would be northern
Tanzania and parts of the Lake Victoria area. WFP is finalising an
emergency aid operation for the people of northern Tanzania.

As the harvest begins, access to food is improving in the highly food-
insecure districts of Kotido and Moroto in northeastern Uganda. This will
however only temporarily alleviate supply shortages, FEWS said. Crop
supplies remain low and market prices are unusually higher than normal. 
According to FEWS, the situation is improving but 200,000 people in the
Kotido and Moroto districts are expected to be in need of external food
aid until the beginning of the next harvest in October 2001.  Insecurity
in the Gulu and Kitgum districts of northern Uganda and the Bundibugyo
district of western Uganda has led to 600,000 people being internally
displaced. These have only limited access to cultivable land and are
dependent on local and international humanitarian agencies for assistance.

Nairobi, 27 October 2000


[IRIN-CEA: Tel: +254 2 622147 Fax: +254 2 622129 e-mail:
irin-cea@ocha.unon.org ]


[This item is delivered in the "africa-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 . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post
this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Reposting by commercial
sites requires written IRIN permission.]

Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2000


distributed by
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Volunteers in Technical Assistance
Disaster Information Center             lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm
                                                     sitreps    nat-dsr
     web: www.cidi.org                               fireline
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Central/East Africa  -  http://vwww.vita.org/humanitarian/irin/ceafrica