afrol News, 24 March - The Zambian government is reporting that 1,000 refugees from Congo Kinshasa (DRC) have crossed into its territory since last Thursday because of fighting by demoralised Maļ-Maļ rebel militia elements in south-eastern parts of the country. This is the first time since September 2003 Congolese refugees pour into Zambia.

About 300 refugees have by now sought asylum on Kilwa Island in Lake Mweru on the Congolese-Zambian border and another 700 are on the Zambian mainland, spokesman Kris Janowski of the refugee agency (UNHCR) reported in Geneva, citing "sketchy information" from the Zambian government.

The Maļ-Maļ rebels are reported to have staged an increased number of attacks of civilians around the towns of Pweto, Kalemie and Moba in the south-eastern corner of Congo Kinshasa. The region still is not under full control of the Kinshasa government.

Most of the Maļ-Maļ rebels are awaiting their promised integration into the national Congolese armed forces or their demobilisation, as agreed in the Congolese peace accord. The militia includes a large number of child soldiers and uprooted persons that will face difficulties being re-integrated into civilian life.

Meanwhile, demoralised groups of the rebels are turning to outright terror among civilians in the region they control. Local UNHCR staff in Zambia have interviewed the newly arrived refugees, who are outlining systematic atrocities by the Maļ-Maļ militia. Women tell of rape and other sexual violence while others tell of beating.

Zambian authorities have been screening them to ensure that those arriving are genuine asylum-seekers, Mr Janowski said in Geneva. Some of the arrivals were found to be Maļ-Maļ rebels and were sent back, according to local sources.

The majority of the new arrivals are however found to be victimised civilians and are been taken care of by Zambian authorities and UNHCR. UNHCR staff in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, and in Kawambwa now "stand ready" to move refugees to Kala Camp in northern Zambia, where other Congolese nationals have been sheltered, according to the UN agency.

Zambia has hosted tens of thousands of Congolese refugees during the most intensive warfare in the country. Only in March 2002, over 50,000 Congolese had poured into Zambia. Most of these have since that voluntarily returned to Congo Kinshasa as the conflict level has lowered.

The last wave of refugees arrived Zambia in September last year, following a shorter period of sporadic violence in the eastern part of Congo Kinshasa. Close to 300 Congolese refugees arrived Zambian camps at that time, while many more were seeking refuge inside Congo.

By staff writer

© afrol News

Related pages and feature

Current afrol News Top Stories