IRIN Update 391 for 7 Apr 98.4.7

U N I T E D N A T I O N S Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Integrated Regional Information Network for Central and Eastern Africa

Tel: +254 2 622147 Fax: +254 2 622129 e-mail: irin@dha.unon.org

IRIN Update No. 391 for Central and Eastern Africa (Tuesday 7 April 1998)

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Kabila visits North Kivu to "restore order"

President Laurent-Desire Kabila has accused the UN and other international organisations of helping rebels in the east of the country. During a visit to North Kivu yesterday (Monday), he said he had come to restore order, DRC state radio reported. He also ruled out negotiations with Mayi-Mayi rebels and vowed to wipe out his enemies. "I have come to Kivu to bring order and for that I don't expect to negotiate with anyone," he said.

DRC-Ugandan rebels team up in Beni

Fighting has been under way for several days in the Beni area of North Kivu, pitting the army against Mayi-Mayi rebels allied to Ugandan insurgents of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). News reports quoted Major Jean-Pierre Ondekani, commander of the DRC army's 10th brigade, as saying mopping-up operations were under way and calm was slowly returning to the area. According to AFP, a senior Ugandan officer said the rebels attacked Beni last Friday probably to try and capture arms from the brigade headquarters there. He added the attack showed their resources were dwindling.

RWANDA: Interahamwe kill seven in Gitarama area

The authorities will today (Tuesday) unveil a special national monument to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the 1994 genocide, according to a BBC report. Meanwhile, killings continued in the country. The Rwanda News Agency reported that seven people were massacred by Interahamwe militiamen in the central Gitarama prefecture on Friday night. The seven, from Rutobwe commune, were all genocide survivors, local officials said. The rebels hacked them to death using clubs and machetes. In the northern Ruhengeri area, the military were increasing mopping-up operations against rebels active in the Nyamugali, Cyeru, Ruhondo and Kinigi communes, RNA said.

CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE: Central African leaders meet to discuss security

The presidents of Congo-Brazzaville, Chad and the Central African Republic met in the southern Congolese city of Pointe Noire on Friday to discuss security in the region. Radio France Internationale said they pledged to restore and maintain peace and security within their countries and along their borders.

Humanitarian sources confirmed to IRIN today the rail service between Brazzaville and Pointe Noire has been suspended since Saturday due to fighting in the Mouyondzi area, a town on the railway line about halfway between the two cities. [IRIN erroneously reported yesterday (no.390) that Mouyondzi was a district of Brazzaville]. The sources point out the fighting does not appear to present a direct risk to Brazzaville at the moment.

Sassou Nguesso tries to calm fears of Pointe Noire attack

At the weekend, Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso tried to appease fears of an imminent attack on Pointe-Noire by supporters of ousted president Pascal Lissouba, Gabonese radio reported. It said the rumours circulating about the attack had seriously disrupted the social climate in the city, as militiamen were said to be strengthening their positions in the area. The president has described the rumours as unfounded, but according to the radio security has been stepped up in Pointe Noire. Angolan troop presence is less obvious, it added.

SUDAN: Government troops reportedly surrounded by rebels north of Juba

Rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) say they have surrounded government troops some 60 km north of Juba. According to opposition Voice of Sudan radio, government soldiers launched two major attacks against SPLA positions on Saturday, but these were repulsed after intensive air raids and fierce fighting.

GREAT LAKES: OCHA chief outlines priorities

UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Sergio Vieira de Mello has stressed that a UN priority for the Great Lakes region is ensuring a smooth transition between humanitarian and rehabilitation activities. He also called for a better regional coordination of humanitarian work. The Great Lakes, he told IRIN in an interview, "require an integrated, non-paternalistic, preventive approach, based on objective, non-ethnic analysis of the different conflicts and their solutions". [For full interview refer to IRIN Interview with Sergio Vieira de Mello on 30 March 1998, published on 6 April 1998].

UNHCR-OAU to host ministerial meeting in Kampala next month

Preparations are under way for a UNHCR/OAU-hosted regional meeting in Kampala on 8-9 May. The meeting will discuss issues related to the protection and impact of refugees on host states. Regional countries will be represented at ministerial level, UNHCR said.

Nairobi, 7 April 1998, 12:30 gmt

[ENDS]

[The material contained in this communication comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. UN IRIN Tel: +254 2 622123 Fax: +254 2 622129 e-mail: irin@dha.unon.org for more information or subscriptions. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include attribution to the original sources. IRIN reports are archived on the WWW at: http://www.reliefweb.int/emergenc or can be retrieved automatically by sending e-mail to archive@dha.unon.org. Mailing list: irin-cea-updates]

Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 15:35:02 +0300 (GMT+0300) From: UN IRIN - Central and Eastern Africa <irin@ocha.unon.org> Subject: Central and Eastern Africa: IRIN Update 391 for 7 Apr 98.4.7 Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.91.980407153352.10901A-100000@dha.unon.org>

Editor: Dr. Ali B. Ali-Dinar, Ph.D

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