Congo: more casualties and refugees after army raids
The regular Congolese army (FARDC) reports
that it has killed at least 47 rebels while 150,000 civilians have been
driven from their homes after last Sunday's offensive and takeover of Dongo.
As of October 29, the army and police backed by the UN peacekeeping force
(MONUC) have attempted to hunt down a group of insurgents calling themselves
'patriotic-resistors', and to restore security after weeks of intercommunity
clashes for the control of fish rich waters. The latest FARDC offensive
has pushed more families to seek refuge in the neighboring Republic of
Congo or in other areas of the DR Congo bordering Dongo: so far at least
150,000 people are said to have left their homes. UN sources said that
500 peacekeepers have been deployed in a temporary base in Gemena and Bozene
(northwestern province of the Equateur) to back the FARDC, which have resumed
control of Dongo so far, asking the population to return. [AB]