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| East/Subsaharan Africa |
| Thousands flee from massacre in DRC |
| 2003-05-12 |
| EFL Wielding machetes and rocket-launchers, hordes of tribal warriors and children have marauded through the Democratic Republic of Congo town of Bunia, unleashing an orgy of killing and forcing tens of thousands of terrified refugees across the Ugandan border. United Nations officials have warned the Security Council that the crisis was potentially a genocide in the making, drawing parallels with Rwanda, where between 500,000 and 1 million people, mainly Tutsis, were killed by Hutus in 1994. Reports from UN officials and aid workers said Uruguayan peacekeepers returned fire after gunmen believed to be from the Lendu ethnic group lobbed mortars at thousands of residents, mainly of the Hema tribe, seeking refuge in the UN compound. There were no details about casualties, although two UN soldiers were said to be wounded. With only 600 troops in Bunia, a town of about 350,000 in the east of the war-ravaged country, the UN has been unable to control the deteriorating situation. South African President Thabo Mbeki is expected to ask Mr Annan this week to extend the peacekeepers' mandate to allow them to return fire if civilians come under attack. Lendu warriors reportedly smashed their way into a church and massacred 40 Hemas cowering inside. At least 50,000 civilians have been killed in the province in ethnic violence fanned by Uganda which, with Rwanda, invaded Congo in 1998 to try to topple dictator Laurent Kabila. Uganda has exploited tribal differences between Hema and Lendu, successively arming both tribes. The subsequent instability provided "justification" for the continued presence of its troops in the mineral-rich province. |
| Posted by:Paul Moloney |
| #3 I think we're in line to be criticized for not doing anything on this one. |
| Posted by: Fred 2003-05-12 21:11:51 |
| #2 I've lost track. Have we been blamed for this already, or is that not until next week? |
| Posted by: Matt 2003-05-12 20:59:41 |
| #1 South African President Thabo Mbeki is expected to ask Mr Annan this week to extend the peacekeepers' mandate to allow them to return fire if civilians come under attack. Working through channels, I see...I hope that Mr. Mbeki gets the OK from Kofi in a timely manner. Man, I am sure glad that we did not wait for the OK from Kofi on Afghanistan and Iraq! |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-05-12 20:14:46 |