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
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e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org


CENTRAL AND EASTERN AFRICA
IRIN-CEA Weekly Round-Up 375
17 - 23 March 2007


CONTENTS:

DRC: Echoes of the past as Bemba guards fight government forces
DRC: Army, police in rights abuses - report
DRC-BURUNDI: Massacre survivors to resettle in US
CAR: Birao empty as scared civilians stay away
TANZANIA: Rift Valley Fever spreads, death toll up
CONGO: Boost for anti-malaria effort
KENYA-SOMALIA: Kenya asked to allow flight resumption

also see:
DRC: Young offenders in jail with adult criminals
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=70789
KENYA: Defying orders to surrender illegal guns
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=70857
KENYA: Sarah: "I can stand up again ."
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=70831


DRC: Echoes of the past as Bemba guards fight government forces

The international community has called for a ceasefire and dialogue in
the Democratic Republic of Congo, where guards of the former rebel
leader Jean-Pierre Bemba clashed for the second day on Friday with
government forces in the capital, Kinshasa.

Tension gripped Kinshasa throughout Thursday night, prompting some
residents to flee the city centre. "A tank of the national army is
circulating not far from here and shooting," a resident of Barumbu
commune said. "We can see, through the window, guards of Bemba and the
army shooting at each other."

In separate statements, the United Nations, which has over 18,000
peacekeepers and other officials in the DRC, and the European Union
called for an immediate ceasefire. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the
UN Security Council and the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC condemned
the fighting.

Witnesses said the clashes, which were sparked off by an attempt by
government forces to disarm Bemba's guards, were concentrated around the
city centre, the administrative and commercial centres and the area
where foreign embassies are located. They claimed that several bodies
were lying on the streets, while scores of people had been injured. full
report: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=70903


DRC: Army, police in rights abuses - report

Soldiers of the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) national army and
the police have been involved in human rights violations in the eastern
district of Ituri, and are allegedly responsible for growing insecurity
in North Kivu, according to the February 2007 UN Mission in DRC (MONUC)
human rights assessment report.

It said Congolese army operations against militias had led to increasing
allegations of human rights violations on civilians; such as torture,
inhuman and degrading treatment, rape and looting.

MONUC said no legal or disciplinary action had yet been taken against
the commander of the police officers and the soldiers who were
implicated in the incidents.

full report:
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=70814


DRC-BURUNDI: Massacre survivors to resettle in US

The first group of Congolese ethnic Tutsis who survived the 2004
killings in the Burundi refugee transit border camp of Gatumba were
flown out on Sunday for resettlement in the United States, a United
Nations refugees agency spokeswoman said.

Thirty-five refugees boarded the flight in Bujumbura, the spokeswoman,
Catherine Lune-Grayson, said. The United States has cleared 550 refugees
for resettlement.

full report:
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=70773


CAR: Birao empty as scared civilians stay away

Fighting between rebels and government troops in northeastern Central
African Republic has left the once bustling town of Birao virtually
empty; with thousands of civilians, believed now to be hiding in the
bush, too scared or unable to return to their homes.

The prefect of Birao, Col Mathieu Mobiliawa, said at least 600 homes
were set ablaze in the latest clashes three weeks ago.

The medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres, which had suspended its
activities in Birao after fighting in March, returned there this week.
Overall, one million people are believed to be affected by the
widespread insecurity in the northeast.

full report
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=70862


TANZANIA: Rift Valley Fever spreads, death toll up

An outbreak of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) has killed 16 people and infected
at least 100 in Tanzania, spreading to more regions, Health Minister
David Mwakyusa said on Tuesday.

He said the central region of Dodoma was the worst affected by the
mosquito-borne illness, which spreads from infected livestock to humans.
The disease had also claimed lives in Arusha and Manyara regions, which
border on Kenya, where a RVF outbreak killed at least 154 people between
December 2006 and February. Up to 41 people are still receiving
treatment in hospitals in Tanzania after developing symptoms of the
fever.

Mwakyusa, a former university professor of medicine, told reporters on
Monday in Dodoma, the political capital, that there was no vaccine for
humans against the disease. Therefore, he said the public must ensure
that before consumption meat was inspected by health authorities; and
that care must be taken in handling livestock products, sick and dead
animals.

full report:
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=70818


CONGO: Boost for anti-malaria effort

Japan is to provide US$1.7 million dollars to fund the second phase of a
malaria control programme to prevent childhood diseases in the Republic
of Congo where malaria accounts for at least 40 percent of all illnesses
and about 34 percent of deaths, officials said.

The money will be channelled through the United Nations Children's Fund,
whose local representative, Koen Vanormelingen, signed the funding
agreement in Brazzaville on Tuesday with Japan's ambassador, Hiromi
Okamoto. The first phase was also funded by Japan with about $2 million.

full report:
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=70849


KENYA-SOMALIA: Kenya asked to allow flight resumption

Somalia's Transitional Federal Government has asked Kenya to allow the
resumption of direct flights between Mogadishu and Nairobi. Kenya had
suspended the flights, citing security reasons.

Somalia's ambassador to Kenya, Mohamed Ali Nur, told reporters that a
delegation of Kenyan officials had inspected Mogadishu airport and would
make recommendations on the flight resumptions.

The city and its airport have been subjected to increasing gunfire
lately, with the latter coming under fire twice since January.

Nur denied reports that the recent fighting had forced 40,000 city
residents to flee. However, he said elaborate security measures were in
place to ensure peace returned. The government has 8,000 trained
soldiers under arms.

full report:
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=70859


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