IRIN Emergency Update No. 69 on the Great Lakes (Tuesday 31 December 1996)

- Zaire's crisis government has confirmed the launching of a counter-offensive operation against Laurent Kabila's ADFL from a point south of Uvira in eastern Zaire. There is still no confirmation of the previous counter-offensive reportedly lauched from Bunia in the north. Reuter reports that Kabila claimed that his forces

Compiled by DHA on the basis of information reported by Donors and Appealing Agencies

Refugee/IDP Populations in Eastern Zaire - There are no reliable estimates of the total number of Zaireans displaced from their homes, and anywhere up to 400,000 Rwandan and 80,000 Burundian refugees remain in Zaire. Although large groups have been located, such as the estimated 150,000 refugees in the Lubutu area, the 50,000 displaced people and refugees near Shabunda, and 50,000 displaced people near Katshungu,

Tanzania
The majority of refugees from the Karagwe camps now appear to be in the area between Nyakasimbi and Kimisi. UNHCR at Ngara are deploying

Zairean state-run television broadcast a statement last night announcing that Prime Minister Kengo wa Dondo is to remain in office. A statement, signed by representatives of the presidential Conclave of Political Forces and the premier's moderate opposition, said there was "no case for suspending or vacating" the post of prime minister. The more radical opposition parties were not signatories to the

The relief workers say the vast majority of the victims appear to have died in massacres several weeks ago.

The identity of the killers was unclear.

In the past two months, mainly Tutsi rebels have captured a swathe of eastern Zaire, routing both government

Please note that this will be the last Oxfam UK/I Information Update on central Africa in 1996. Hopefully the next one will appaer in the first days of 1997.
Note : in the parts of this report referring to the external context and the programme, "Oxfam" refers to OUK/I, as the lead Oxfam for this emergency. In other parts, different members of Oxfam International are referred to distinctly.

Context / In brief

President Mobutu extended until today the deadline for political parties to come up with nominations for a new government, but warned that he would take matters into his own hands if they failed to reach agreement. Parties were bitterly divided on whether Kengo wa Dondo should remain prime minister, or whether opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi should be chosen. Another contender is Frederic Kibassa