Kinshasa to bring home 100,000 refugees

KINSHASA, Friday

The Democratic Republic of Congo has promised a rapid act to bring home its 110,000 nationals taking shelter in the neighbouring Republic of Congo after fleeing a tribal clash in November.

“The Congolese government understands well the anxiety expressed by the Congo-Brazzaville head of state over the high number of our fellow citizens over there who represent a higher figure than the natives,” DR Congo’s Minister of Communication Lambert Mende said.

Kinshasa made the remarks in response to President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo, who expressed fears about the refugees on Tuesday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at a press conference on the sidelines of the 14th African Union summit.

“We have already secured the zones where our brothers come from and we are only making an appeal that they come back so that we can help them when they are in their homeland,” Mende said.

Nguesso had decried the situation of the 110,000 DR Congo nationals who fled from the attacks of Enyele militiamen in Dongo in DR Congo’s Equateur province.

The president said he hoped the refugees would quickly return to their country to avoid conflicts with the locals. Meanwhile, Mende urged more assistance to the Dongo refugees.

The official was making a reference to the aid accorded to the refugees from Dongo by certain countries and humanitarian organisations.

France announced in early January that it would grant 200,000 euros through the World Food Program in emergency aid to the refugees. The US has also offered $4.6 million to meet the humanitarian needs.

The UN humanitarian aid agency OCHA has promised to improve conditions for returnees. OCHA spokesman in Kinshasa Maurizio Giulani made the pledge on Wednesday at a weekly press conference of the UN mission in DR Congo in Kinshasa.

He said they would not ask the refugees to return, but would make their living conditions acceptable after their return. “It’s upon them to assess the situation and decide whether to return to their homes or not,” he pointed out.

The Enyele insurgents whose number was not specified seized Dongo area in November after a bloody clash with the Boba tribe over fishing grounds.