Report No. 38 of 1996 Date: 27 September 1996
This report includes: A) Burundi, Rwanda, Zaire and Tanzania
B) Liberia C) Afghanistan D) CIS: Armenia
From D. Morton, Acting for Director, Operational Policy and
Support Division. For information regarding resources, donors
are requested to contact Mr. F. Strippoli/Mr. M. Crosthwaite,
WFP Rome (Ph. 39 6 5228 2504 or 5228 2004). Transmission
problems should be reported by fax to 39 6 5228 2837.
PART I - HIGHLIGHTS
(Details below in Part II)
A. EAST AFRICA: REGIONAL OPERATION FOR BURUNDI, RWANDA, ZAIRE
AND TANZANIA
1. Burundi
a) Regional Coordination Committee on Sanctions meeting of 25
September fails to exempt food aid from sanctions embargo.
Fertilizer and vegetable seeds now exempted.
b) Buyoya maintains position that a cease-fire is needed as a
precondition to talks with the opposition CNDD.
c) Reports of increasing use of anti-personnel mines in the
provinces of Bubanza and Cibitoke.
2. Zaire - Goma
a) Verification exercise postponed until security situation in
South Kivu improves.
3. Zaire - Bukavu
a) Ethnic conflict continues to escalate.
b) Heavy artillery fire exchanged between Rwanda and Zaire on
22 and 23 September, resulting in a reported death and several
cases of serious injury in Bukavu; several buildings damaged.
Non-essential staff of relief agencies relocated out of Bukavu,
some by WFP aircraft. All WFP staff remain in Bukavu.
c) Food stocks remain low.
4. Zaire - Uvira
a) Further arrests and killings of members of the Tutsi
community (Banyamulenge). Tense situation worsens.
b) Several refugee camps partially empty as many flee Uvira
area, to Burundi, Bukavu or the hills as a result of security
situation.
c) Relief operations in Uvira camps limited to essential
services.
5. Rwanda
a) Attacks in Kibilira commune of Gisenyi Prefecture result in
movement of previously internally displaced population who had
been resettled in the area.
b) The cross-border fighting with Zaire evident in Cyangugu
Prefecture on 22 and 23 September.
B. LIBERIA
1. Update
a) On 27 September, WFP food assistance reaches Cape Mount
county, inaccessible for nine months. Food rations distributed
to some 5,000 people.
C. AFGHANISTAN
1. Update
a) Taliban forces take over Kabul on 27 September.
D. COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES
1. Armenia
a) Protests in Yerevan over result of presidential elections
leave many injured and two people killed; state of emergency
declared.
PART II - DETAILS
A. EAST AFRICA: REGIONAL OPERATION FOR BURUNDI, RWANDA, ZAIRE
AND TANZANIA
1. BURUNDI
1.1 WFP flights to and from Nairobi on Thursdays and Sundays,
authorized by the Regional Coordination Committee on Sanctions
(RSCC), are proceeding as scheduled.
1.2 Following the imposition of sanctions, WFP, FAO and other
agencies prepared an advocacy paper on "Recommendations for
Humanitarian Exemptions to the Sanctions on Burundi" to be
presented to the various National Sanctions Committees and the
Chairman of RSCC through the UN Resident Coordinator in
Nairobi. This paper addresses the vital need to import
humanitarian food aid to Burundi for life-saving programmes,
and appeals to have the sanctions partly lifted on humanitarian
food aid. In spite of this and other appeals, the RSCC meeting
of 25 September did not recommend that food aid be exempted
from the embargo. However, fertilizer and vegetable seeds have
now been exempted.
1.3 Tanzania and Kenya reiterated that for sanctions to be
lifted, the conditions of initiating unconditional negotiations
with all parties of the conflict and restoring constitutional
order must be met. Buyoya maintains his cease-fire precondition
before any talks with the opposition CNDD can be initiated by
the Government.
1.4 The CNDD declared on 17 September that it would accept to
initiate negotiations with the Buyoya regime provided that
certain conditions are met: restoration of the constitution,
the freeing of several thousands of prisoners, the return of
the army to barracks and the arrest of those responsible for
the 1993 coup d'etat. The CNDD has said that it would negotiate
only with delegates who had not participated in the 1993 coup.
1.5 The security situation remained calm in the capital during
the week of 17 to 23 September although fighting was reported
in the hills of Bujumbura Rural. In Bujumbura Mairie several
security incidents were reported. The RN1 highway remains
effectively closed and RN3 and RN7 are considered at high risk.
1.6 In Cibitoke province a rebel attack against military
positions was reported on 15 September, and a military truck
was destroyed by a mine on 17 September, with two soldiers
killed. According to the UN Humanitarian Situation Report for
Burundi, anti-personnel mines are increasingly being used in
the provinces of Bubanza and Cibitoke. At least eight mine
casualties have been treated recently in Bujumbura hospitals.
1.7 The security situation remains tense in the northern
provinces, with clashes between the armed forces and the rebels
reported in several communes.
1.8 Redeployment of WFP staff in Gitega and Karuzi provinces
is still on hold.
1.9 Since the enforcement of the embargo, WFP has been
attempting to respond to the immediate needs of the displaced
population with available stocks. This is done mostly through
ad hoc emergency distributions and food-for-work. Owing to the
scarcity of fuel and increased insecurity, field monitoring
activities have been reduced.
1.10 In response to the decrease in cargo currently handled in
the country, reduction of staff in Ngozi and Bujumbura has
occurred.
2. ZAIRE - GOMA
2.1 The general security situation in the Goma area is calm.
Zairian authorities have decided to postpone the verification
exercise, pending an improvement in the security situation in
South Kivu.
3. ZAIRE - BUKAVU
3.1 The ethnic conflict which began in the Uvira region
between the Zairian population and the Tutsi community in South
Kivu, called "Banyamulenge", continued to escalate over the
past week, with insecurity in Bukavu particularly from 21 to 23
September.
3.2 On 21 September, vehicles travelling the escarpment road
from Uvira to Bukavu were shot at from the Rwanda side of the
border. During the nights of 22 and 23 September, heavy
artillery fire was exchanged between Rwanda and Zaire. Initial
reports from authorities state that one death and five serious
injuries were sustained in Bukavu as well as damage to homes
and other buildings.
3.3 Following this insecurity, relief agencies in Bukavu
relocated non-essential staff on 24 September. The WFP aircraft
flew out 31 UN and NGO personnel. Other staff left by NGO
flights and local commercial aircraft. An estimated 60 to 65
staff were relocated. All WFP staff remained in Bukavu.
3.4 Stock levels remain low as the southern route experienced
technical problems (a fallen bridge on the escarpment road) and
security problems. As soon as the security problems were made
evident, commodities were redeployed on the northern route. A
total of 705 tons of cereals were received from Goma.
3.5 Due to lack of sufficient pulses, the ration has been set
at 1,400 kcal.
3.6 Both Nyamirangwe and Inera camps have completed the final
stage of registration. Direct distributions will commence
shortly. Only Kashusha and Kabira camps are left to complete
the registration.
4. ZAIRE - UVIRA
4.1 Announcements made by local authorities and security
incidents have contributed to worsen the already tense
atmosphere in Uvira. Many arrests and killings of members of
the Tutsi community (Banyamulenge) have occurred, followed by
seizure of their possessions. International staff renting
properties owned by Banyamulenge have been asked to move.
4.2 On 22 September, 2,000 men were seen on the Burundian
border at the Kiliba airstrip. Zairian Contingent soldiers
(hired by UNHCR) after being advised of this incident by the
refugees, were able to diffuse the situation. No more details
have been made available. In the evening two explosions
occurred one kilometre from Kanganiro camp.
4.3 The incidents of the past weeks have caused many people to
flee the Uvira area, to Burundi or Bukavu or the hills, leaving
several refugee camps partially empty.
4.4 Due to the security situation, relief activities run by
international agencies have been reduced to only essential
services.
4.5 A total of 255 tons of relief food were sent to Bukavu.
Three barges arrived in Uvira from Kigoma in Tanzania carrying
a total of 533 tons of food for Uvira and 803 tons for Bukavu.
Uvira port is performing well, although off-loading was slow
from 16 to 22 September since one WFP crane was lent to SFE
(the Zairian port authorities) for private cargo in order to
clear the quayside.
4.6 The caseload for the Uvira camps increased by 2,746
refugees over the past week, reaching 222,760 beneficiaries in
the 12 camps. The new arrivals continue to be installed in the
new camp of Kahanda after a medical screening carried out by
Medicins sans Frontieres (MSF). Several of the new arrivals are
in poor condition: 16 were found to be malnourished and will be
included in special feeding programs.
4.7 Responsibility for the WFP operations in Uvira were
transferred from Bujumbura to the Bukavu WFP office on 16
September.
5. TANZANIA
5.1 The joint WFP/UNHCR Local Food Aid Assessment teams
visited Karagwe district from 19 to 20 September. The team met
with the local authorities, donors and NGOs. Among the topics
discussed were repatriation trends, food basket composition and
refugee impact on the host population and the environment.
5.2 The refugee influx into Kagera and Kigoma regions
continues with a total of 1,905 arriving from 16 to 22
September: 779 arrived in Keza camp, 401 in Mtabila camp, and
725 in Mtendeli camp.
5.3 The refugee population, reported at 22 September, is
656,331.
6. RWANDA
6.1 Armed attacks and tension in Kibilira commune of Gisenyi
Prefecture have prompted some 300 families (all of whom were
resettled families who had been previously internally
displaced) to leave their homes and seek refuge at the communal
office. The Ministry of Rehabilitation and Social Integration
has asked WFP to provide food assistance to this group. The
request is currently being evaluated.
6.2 The Seeds Protection Programme is expected to start this
week. WFP will provide food aid to 72,678 vulnerable farming
families in selected areas most prone to crop failures and food
shortages.
6.3 Field reports confirm that early rains have prompted
farmers in several areas of Rwanda to start planting ahead of
schedule.
6.4 Insecurity was witnessed over the past week, particularly
in Cyangugu Prefecture, where heavy cross-border fighting
(Rwanda/Zaire) took place on 22 and 23 September (see section
3.2 above).
6.5 Although there were no new arrivals from Zaire this week,
in view of the continuing tense situation in the South Kivu
region of eastern Zaire and further displacement of populations
in that area, the WFP Country Office in Rwanda remains prepared
for possible influxes.
B. LIBERIA
1. UPDATE
1.1 WFP was able to distribute food in the previously
inaccessible Cape Mount county on 27 September. After many
months of negotiations with rebel factions, permission to enter
the area had been given on 25 September.
1.2 Distributions of bulgur wheat, beans and vegetable oil
were made to some 5,000 people in several villages in the
county. A total of 22 tons was distributed directly from the
trucks which made up the WFP convoy. The food provided a two-
week ration to the population, to cover immediate needs while a
more detailed assessment in association with medical NGOs is
carried out. It is not known how many of the original 50,000
people who made up the pre-war population of Cape Mount country
are still in the area.
1.3 The last WFP food deliveries to the area by road were in
December 1995. Cape Mount has been virtually cut off from
international relief for the past nine months, except for an
airlift of 60 tons of relief food which took place in March.
C. AFGHANISTAN
1. UPDATE
1.1 After two days of heavy fighting, Kabul was taken over by
Taliban forces on Friday 27 September. According to reports
from the city, both of the airports around Kabul and the main
roads into the city are under Taliban control as of this date.
The strategic hills around the city have also been captured.
1.2 Some looting of relief stocks has been reported, but
details are not yet known.
D. COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES
1. ARMENIA
1.1 Violent protests erupted in Yerevan on 25 September
following the announcement of presidential election results
which keep the incumbent President Petrossian in power.
Supporters of his main opponent, Mr. Manukian, claim that the
election was rigged. Several thousand protesters marched on the
Parliament building, with demonstrators breaking down the gates
and forcing their way into the building. Security forces were
deployed and violent clashes occurred, lasting several hours,
and leaving many injured and two people killed. The President
has declared a state of emergency and army and police forces
are reported to have been deployed along roads leading to the
areas where most Government buildings are located.
1.2 UN international and local staff were in office premises
when the violence erupted in the city. The WFP office operated
with a skeleton staff on 26 September but working conditions
returned to normal on 27 September and WFP relief operations
have not been affected.
(End WFP Emergency Report No. 38 of 1996 - September 27, 1996)
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