Kinshasa (Fides Service) - While fighting in the east of Democratic Congo continues, local Church sources have sent to Fides Service some data on the number of refugees arriving in Kanyabayonga, a city about 60 km from Lubero, administrative capital of North Kivu. The refuges come from the following localities: Pings (5971 persons); Peti (1804); Masanga (1556); Kaliba (1322); Misau (276); Kalehe (596). The only assistance for these refugees is offered by the Congolese Church, in particular by the local Caritas which is setting up camps and distributing food supplies, clothes and other goods of first necessity.
In the Ituri region, further north, the news of the preparation of a new military offensive is provoking the flight of the inhabitants of the city of Bunia, taken by Ugandan troops at the beginning of March which ousted the troops of the UPC Union Patriots Congolese, supported by powers external to Congo. "There is still no fighting" refer missionaries contacted by Fides Service "but the people have a strong fear of being newly involved in a new war and they are fleeing to the forest".
In the Ituri region there is a bloody conflict between the ethnic groups of the Hema and the Lendu which since 1999 to today has provoked at least 50thousand dead and 500thousand displaced persons. The conflict has been manipulated by the heads of armed political groups fighting for political and military control of the region. In Ituri there are important resources such as gold, precious wood and oil which attract the interests of local and foreign businessmen that finance the various warlords.
On the political level, it has been announced the 1 and 2 April in Sun City (South Africa) there will be a new reunion of Congolese parties. This conclusive reunion will formally adopt the global accord signed 17 December, and a text on security and the reform of the army and one of the reforms of the Constitution. LM (Fides Service 20/3/2003 EM lines 28 Words: 345)