Up to 7 000 Congolese, mostly women and children, have crossed the border into western Uganda to flee fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) region of Ituri in the past four days, military officials and aid workers said on Friday.
Aid workers are investigating whether another 10 000 Congolese crossed the border on Thursday from Ituri, said Ron Redmond, a spokesperson for the United Nations refugee agency in Geneva.
”They are getting food, water, blankets and health care for those ones in need,” said Montserat Feixas, the agency’s deputy country representative.
Lieutenant Chris Magezi, an army spokesperson in western Uganda, said that since Tuesday the refugees have been fleeing fighting in the eastern DRC villages of Nyakakona and Ishasha, about 11km from the DRC-Uganda border.
He said the fighting was between Mayi Mayi militiamen and a former rebel faction, the Congolese Rally for Democracy-Goma, but did not give any other details.
Feixas said the refugees are in Hoima, about 160km north-west of the capital, Kampala, and will be moved to Kyaka, a settlement for Congolese refugees that is 300km west of Kampala.
”The information we have gathered is that the fighting has stopped and the situation is calm. We are encouraging these people to go back to their villages,” Magezi said.
Before the recent influx, Uganda had 10 000 Congolese refugees out of a total refugee population of 200 000. The rest are from Sudan. — Sapa-AP