Goma (Congo) – The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Monday said the Congolese army chased away 35,000 displaced people who were staying in three camps in eastern Congo, accusing them of harbouring rebels in their midst.
Andreas Kirchhof from UNHCR in Kinshasa said most of the displaced people fled from rebel groups into the area in Masisi in North Kivu province in 2012.
He added that “the UN was unable to immediately take charge of the displaced people who were dispersed in the area.
“Our organisation asks the Congolese government to guarantee the security of the displaced people.”
The army had reportedly accused the displaced of helping the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), one of dozens of rebel groups operating in eastern Congo.
The FDLR and armed groups allied with it attacked army positions in late March, where about 16 people were killed in the fighting. (dpa/NAN)
