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CENTRAL AND EASTERN AFRICA
IRIN-CEA Weekly Round-up 180
21 - 27 June 2003


CONTENTS:

GREAT LAKES: Burundi, DRC key to regional peace - UN report
GREAT LAKES: Calendar set for regional peace and development conference
DRC: Militia group withdrawal proceeding without incident
DRC: UN envoy for a unified national army arrives in Kinshasa
DRC: ICRC supports civilians in Ankoro, scene of violent clashes
DRC: UN extends mandate of peacekeeping mission
ROC: World Bank gives US $41 million for emergency recovery
CAR: CEMAC troops begin disarmament campaign in eastern town
BURUNDI: Rebels killed as thousands of civilians flee fighting
BURUNDI: First group of rebel fighters cantoned
RWANDA: UN elects 18 more judges for genocide tribunal
KENYA: Thousands of refugees displaced by unrest at camp
UGANDA: Rebels abduct girls from school near Soroti
TANZANIA: Somali Bantus to get citizenship

ALSO SEE:

KENYA: Feature - Rehabilitating former street children at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=35003]

GREAT LAKES: Burundi, DRC key to regional peace - UN report

A UN Security Council team that recently toured the Great Lakes region has
recommended that the international community make every effort to assist
the ongoing peace efforts in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC), UN News reported.

In a report issued on Monday, the team said the installation of a
transitional government in the DRC and the conclusion of a ceasefire in
Burundi could clear the way for a possible international conference to
address long-term peace and security issues in Africa's Great Lakes
region.

The 7-16 June mission, headed by Jean-Marc de La Sablière of France,
toured Angola, Burundi, DRC, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. The team
was in the region to launch a "solid political process", UN News reported.

Among other recommendations, the team suggested that the wider Security
Council should call on donors to give the African Mission in Burundi
(AMIB) adequate financial and logistical aid. "The mission sees a clear
need to provide adequate budgetary and economic assistance to support the
transitional government lest all the gains achieved so far collapse," UN
News reported.

Based on peace agreements already reached, the team said that most of the
work required to establish a transitional government in the DRC, with a
unified army, had already been completed.

However, UN News reported that the team had been disappointed by the slow
pace of implementation and believed that the steps that remained,
particularly in light of persistent fighting and outbreaks of violence in
the DRC, may prove to be the most difficult. [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=34952]

GREAT LAKES: Calendar set for regional peace and development conference

A calendar of activities has been established leading to two summits on
peace and development in the Great Lakes region - the first one scheduled
for June 2004 - a UN official announced on Tuesday in the Kenyan capital,
Nairobi.

Speaking at the UN Environment Programme headquarters in Gigiri, Nairobi,
Ibrahima Fall, the special representative of UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan for the Great Lakes region, said NGOs and civil society
representatives would participate in the preparatory process for the
summits. They would be incorporated into national preparatory committees
of six "core" countries in the region, he said.

Fall made the announcement at the end of a two-day meeting to launch the
preparatory process for the international conference on peace, security
and democracy for the Great Lakes.

Participants at the meeting included UN and African Union (AU) officials
dealing with the Great Lakes region, and representatives of the six
countries of the region - Burundi, the DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and
Uganda. [Full story at: http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=34975]

DRC: Militia group withdrawal proceeding without incident
 
The Union des patriotes congolais (UPC), a militia group that had been
controlling the town of Bunia in northeastern DRC, was on Tuesday
complying with demands by a multinational force to canton its forces
outside the town, the peace enforcement mission's spokesman told IRIN.

Speaking from Bunia, Col Gerard Dubois said that the Hema militia group
had begun withdrawing its forces from the town on Monday, ahead of the
Tuesday 11:00 deadline that the multinational force had imposed.

Following the withdrawal ultimatum, issued on 21 June, the UPC said it
would maintain its headquarters in Bunia, although it would inform the
multinational force of the locations and number of personnel assigned to
each. In a statement issued on 22 June, the UPC said it had agreed to
cooperate with the multinational force in the formation of a committee to
discuss creation of a force capable of assuring the security of the
population, "a sort of police force". [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=34960]

On Wednesday, the multinational force sent to secure Bunia set boundaries
beyond which all armed militias must withdraw, Dubois told IRIN. He said
the town limits had been established as follows: Shari River bridge, to
the north; Dele village, to the south; Similabo neighbourhood, to the
east; and two km from the airport, to the west.

Tuesday's deadline was extended until noon on Wednesday in order to
finalise technicalities such as Bunia town limits and whether the UPC
would be allowed to maintain its headquarters within the town. To that
effect, it was decided that 30 UPC armed men would be allowed to remain in
Bunia to protect UPC headquarters, Dubois said. However, they would not be
permitted to leave the compound with their arms. [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=34989]

DRC: UN envoy for a unified national army arrives in Kinshasa

Gen Maurice Baril, one of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special envoys
to help with the formation of a unified national army in the DRC, arrived
in the capital, Kinshasa, on Thursday, the spokesman for the UN Mission in
the DRC (MONUC) said.

"He arrived last night and will spend some days with MONUC to get an
update on the situation in the DRC," Hamadoun Toure, the spokesman, told
IRIN on 20 June.

Another envoy appointed by Annan to help Baril with the task, Moustapha
Niasse, who had served as Annan's special envoy for the DRC peace process,
is due to arrive in the coming days.

Baril, the former chief of staff of Canada's armed forces, has also served
as a military adviser to the UN Security Council.

"The two men will be available to work with all parties to help move along
the constitution of a new national government," Patricia Tome, MONUC’s
chief of public information, said at a news conference on 4 June. "Mr
Annan hopes that progress on the political front will help to influence
progress on the military front." [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=34880]

DRC: ICRC supports civilians in Ankoro, scene of violent clashes

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) recently completed
what it termed a "vast operation" to help civilians in Ankoro, a town in
northern Katanga Province of the DRC ravaged by fighting at the end of
2002.

Between 21 May and 10 June, ICRC delegates distributed non-food relief
items to 6,875 families (some 35,000 people) in Ankoro. The local hospital
also received basic supplies.

The ICRC said the relief effort was a major logistical challenge as 130 mt
of supplies had to be transported first by rail from Lubumbashi to Bukama
and then by river from Bukama to Ankoro.

Through its office in Malemba Nkulu, the ICRC said it was continuing to
keep a close watch on the situation among the people in the upper Lomami
area, which has been affected by clashes between various armed groups. The
agency said that the situation there remained a cause of humanitarian
concern.

At least 70 people were killed during fighting in November 2002 between
government forces and Mayi-Mayi militia in Ankoro, MONUC, said in a
mid-April report. [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=34979]

DRC: UN extends mandate of peacekeeping mission

"Deeply concerned" at the fighting in eastern DRC, the UN Security Council
announced on Thursday a month’s extension of the mandate of MONUC. UN News
reported that the decision to extend the mandate until 30 July was taken
unanimously by the 15 nations on the council, which also "took note" of
Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s recent report on the situation in the DRC.

In his report, UN News said, Annan recommended that the mission’s mandate
be extended for a full year until June 2004 and its military strength be
increased "to nearly 11,000" from its present 8,700. "He also recommended
that the possibility of imposing an arms embargo be considered in
war-ravaged Ituri District as well as the Kivus," UN News reported. [Full
story at: http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=35034]

ROC: World Bank gives US $41 million for emergency recovery

The World Bank has approved a credit of US $41 million to help the
Republic of Congo's stabilisation and recovery process, after nearly a
decade of war. A statement issued on Tuesday in Washington DC, the bank's
headquarters, said the bank's board of directors had approved the credit
to be used to improve the living conditions of the poor and to strengthen
civil society in rural areas and small towns.

Approved under the Emergency Recovery and Community Support Project, the
bank said the money would be used to facilitate the "decentralisation
process and the effective provision of basic social services outside the
main cities of Brazzaville [the capital] and Pointe-Noire".

"Activities under the programme aim to help relieve the economic and
social hardship caused by the successive crises in areas that have
received little external support over the last years," the bank said. It
said the project would also meet rehabilitation challenges and reduce
unemployment by promoting the use of labour-intensive methods. [Full story
at: http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=35012]

CAR: CEMAC troops begin disarmament campaign in eastern town

Government troops and the peacekeeping force of the Economic and Monetary
Community of Central African States, known by its French acronym CEMAC,
have begun disarming the bearers of illegal firearms in Bambari, 385 km
east of Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic.

The spokesman for the CEMAC force, Col Augustin Bibaye, told IRIN on
Tuesday that the troops had conducted similar operations in other parts of
the country, and that they would take some time in Bambari, before
returning to Bangui.

On 18 June, Bibaye told IRIN the force had recovered 1,500 arms. In its
emergency programme presented on 21 June to a visiting UN mission, the
government indicated that there were at least 20,000 illegal firearms that
were yet to be recovered.

Meanwhile, state-owned Radio Centrafrique reported on Tuesday that Bozize,
who is also the minister for defence, had reinforced a curfew imposed on
Bangui after the coup. It now starts at 22:00 and ends at 05:00.
Previously it was from midnight until 05:00. No reason was given for the
move. [Full story at: http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=34978]

BURUNDI: Rebels killed as thousands of civilians flee fighting

An unknown number of rebels have been killed in fighting against
government troops in northern Burundi, forcing up to 65,000 civilians to
flee their homes, army and local authority officials told IRIN on Tuesday.

The fighting between the army and the Conseil national pour la defense de
la democratie-Force pour la defense de la democratie (CNDD-FDD) rebel
faction led by Pierre Nkurunziza intensified on Monday at Butaganzwa and
Matongo communes in Kayanza Province, the commander of the Third Military
Region, Brig-Gen Sylvestre Nimubona, said.

Fighting had continued on Tuesday in Mufunya, Nyarurama and Buramiro in
the Butaganzwa area, he said. There had also been fighting in the past
week in the communes of Gahombo and Muhanga in Kayanza.

"Many of them [the rebels] were killed and others driven back to the
neighbouring commune of Butaganzwa," Nimubona said. "I am not able to tell
the exact toll as fighting continues in that area."

He did not say whether there had been casualties in the army side.

A CNDD-FDD spokesman, Gelase Ndabirabe, accused the army of launching
attacks on CNDD-FDD positions in Butaganzwa. "What we're doing now is to
defend ourselves against army shelling," he said. [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=34956]

BURUNDI: First group of rebel fighters cantoned

The first group of 22 fighters of the Forces Nationales de Liberation
(FNL) rebel faction led by Alain Mugabarabona were cantoned on Thursday at
Muyange, 30 km northwest of the Burundian capital, Bujumbura, a military
official told IRIN.

The commander of the African Union (AU) unit guarding the cantonment site,
Maj Piet Meiring, said only 10 of the fighters had guns when they arrived
at the camp set aside for them by the AU force, known as the African
Mission in Burundi. He said the fighters were accompanied by their
commander and FNL Vice-President Leandre Ntahimpera, who monitored their
registration.

"They came on their own waving a white flag," Meiring said. "Others will
be assembled from Monday; we would like them to stay in their pre-assembly
areas so that we can bring them to the cantonment zone." [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=35033]

Cantonment of Mugabarabona’s 285 fighters was postponed on Monday - the
second time - after they refused to go to the cantonment area saying they
first had to be assured that aid would be provided to their families.

AMIB, which is to oversee the demobilisation and cantonment of rebel
troops, had initially stated that cantonment would begin on 6 June.
However, rebel leaders made a prior tour of the Muyange cantonment area
and declared that it was not ready for their fighters.

Mugabarabona’s spokesman, Charles Kabagambe, told IRIN on Monday that AMIB
officials had initially told them to wait for 90 days as they coordinated
the stationing of NGOs in the villages where their families were. [Full
story at: http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=34928]

RWANDA: UN elects 18 more judges for genocide tribunal

The UN General Assembly on Wednesday elected 18 temporary judges to help
speed up the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, UN
News reported. "It is envisioned that the additional judicial manpower
will allow the tribunal to complete its trials by 2008, instead of the
original tentative date of 2017," UN News reported.

Rwanda has often accused the tribunal in Arusha, Tanzania, of being too
slow in conducting trials of major genocide suspects. However, the
tribunal's chief prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte, has complained that Rwanda
has been refusing to cooperate.

The temporary judges, who will be joining the tribunal's nine permanent
judges, will serve four-year terms. They are Aydin Sefa Akay (Turkey),
Florence Rita Arrey (Cameroon), Solomy Balungi Bossa (Uganda), Robert
Fremr (Czech Republic), Taghreed Hikmat (Jordan), Karin Hokborg (Sweden),
Vagn Joensen (Denmark), Gberdao Gustave Kam (Burkina Faso), Tan Sri Dato
'Hj. Mohd. Azmi Dato 'Hj. Kamaruddin (Malaysia), Flavia Lattanzi (Italy),
Kenneth Machin (United Kingdom), Joseph Edward Chiondo Masanche (United
Republic of Tanzania), Lee Gacuiga Muthoga (Kenya), Seon Ki Park (Republic
of Korea), Mparany Mamy Richard Rajohnson (Madagascar), Emile Francis
Short (Ghana), Albertus Henricus Joannes Swart (Netherlands) and Aura
Emerita Guerra de Villalaz (Panama). [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=35006

KENYA: Thousands of refugees displaced by unrest at camp

About 30,000 Sudanese refugees have been displaced from their homes within
the Kakuma refugee camp in northwestern Kenya, due to fighting with the
local Turkana people which has claimed 11 lives.

By early Tuesday eight Sudanese, two Turkana and one Ethiopian (caught in
crossfire) had died due to the fighting, which erupted last week when the
Turkana found a missing cow in the refugee camp, Emmanuel Nyabera, a
spokesman for the Office of the UN High commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),
told IRIN. Since then gangs of Turkana, some of them armed with AK-47
rifles, had attacked the camp, leading to escalated fighting with the
refugees, who defended themselves with crude weapons.

Turkana and refugee leaders, who met on Tuesday, said they would try and
contain the violence. The Turkana complained that the UN and aid agencies
operating in the area were all catering for the Sudanese instead of the
local people, while the refugees said their women were being raped outside
the camp while searching for firewood, as well as having their food
rations stolen during raids. By Wednesday, 25 police had been brought in
to control the situation and more were expected, Nyabera said.

Further unrest was also reported in the town of Lokichokio on Tuesday, as
a spill-over from the Kakuma violence. UNHCR was forced to close its
refugee transit camp in the town, where asylum seekers report on arrival
in Kenya. [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=34986; also see:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=34964]

On Thursday, a Turkana man was killed in skirmishes with anti-riot police
just outside the Kakuma camp, the UNHCR said. Local Turkana had reportedly
been trying to loot a shop outside the camp, when the shoot-out occurred,
Nyabera told IRIN. Another man was arrested and two AK-47 rifles seized.
[Full story at: http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=35031]

UGANDA: Rebels abduct girls from school near Soroti

The Ugandan army has denied that 100 schoolgirls were abducted by Lord's
Resistance Army (LRA) rebels in the Kaberamaido District of northern
Uganda. According to Ugandan radio, the army spokesman, Maj Shaban
Bantariza, said 29 girls had been kidnapped when rebels attacked Rwara
school near the town of Soroti on Tuesday.

The Ugandan army's northeastern division commander, Col Andrew Guti, told
IRIN on Wednesday that rebels had attacked the school and ambushed a
passenger bus in the same district, but the number of casualties was not
yet known. Earlier reports said an estimated 100 students were abducted
from the school, while three people were killed in the bus attack.

Observers say that the LRA appears to be expanding its sphere of attack.
It has also recently carried out attacks in Adjumani, Katakwi and Soroti
districts - the latter two being hundreds of kilometres southeast of Gulu,
the principal town in the north and hitherto a main target of LRA raids.
[Full story at: http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=34976]

The UN Children's Fund has expressed horror at the abductions. "The
abductions are part of the ongoing insecurity in the region, which has
seen an upsurge of violence against civilians and has resulted in a
doubling of the numbers of displaced people over the last year," the
agency reported.

Soroti is now reportedly tense. Reports said many shops had been closed,
especially those owned by Asians, who had relocated further south to
Kampala or to Mbale near the border with Kenya.

The number of girls still missing is unclear. Bantariza told IRIN on
Thursday that 33 girls were still missing, while the local Roman Catholic
Church reportedly said six were missing after the majority escaped from
their captors or were rescued by the army. He said the army had been
deployed and had pushed the rebels out of the district. [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=35004]

TANZANIA: Somali Bantus to get citizenship
 
Tanzania will favourably consider applications for citizenship from about
3,000 Somali Bantu refugees who have lived in the country since 1992, a
government official told IRIN on Thursday.

Speaking from Dar es Salaam, the deputy minister for home affairs, John
Chiligati, said the government was willing to integrate the refugees into
the society, because it believed that they originated in the country
before they were taken to Somalia as slaves some 300 years ago.

Chiligati said issue was raised in the Tanzanian parliament on Wednesday
by a member who wanted to know what the government was doing about the
Somali Bantus who have been living in Tanga Region. The first group of
about 1,000 refugees arrived in Tanzania in 1992 after they fled Somalia
when Muhammad Siyad Barre's presidency ended in 1991.

Although the government had not received any applications for citizenship
from the refugees whose number had since increased to at least 3,000,
Chiligati said they were welcome to apply. [Full story at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=35007]


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Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2003


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