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Central Africa: Refugee Update
Central Africa: Refugee Update
Date distributed (ymd): 011004
Document reposted by APIC
Africa Policy Electronic Distribution List: an information
service provided by AFRICA ACTION (incorporating the Africa
Policy Information Center, The Africa Fund, and the American
Committee on Africa). Find more information for action for
Africa at http://www.africapolicy.org
+++++++++++++++++++++Document Profile+++++++++++++++++++++
Region: Central Africa
Issue Areas: +political/rights+ +security/peace+
SUMMARY CONTENTS:
This set of two postings contains an update from the U.S. Committee
for Refugees on the situation of refugees and internally displaced
people in central and east Africa. This posting includes the
overview and additional details on several countries in central
Africa. Another posting today contains details on several countries
in east Africa. The detailed country sections are here abridged
for length. The full report can be found on the U.S.
Committee for Refugees web site at
http://www.refugees.org/news/press_releases/2001/100301.cfm
+++++++++++++++++end profile++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
U.S. COMMITTEE FOR REFUGEES
October 2, 2001
Contact:
Jeff Drumtra 202-347-3507
[email protected]
http:// www.refugees.org
MORE THAN HALF-MILLION NEWLY UPROOTED PEOPLE IN CENTRAL AFRICA AND
HORN OF AFRICA IN 2001
More than a half-million people fled their homes because of
violence during the first nine months of 2001 in Central Africa and
the Horn of Africa, according to analysis by the U.S. Committee for
Refugees (USCR).
An estimated quarter-million people have become newly uprooted so
far this year in Congo-Kinshasa, according to field reports by
international relief agencies. Some 150,000 or more people fled
their homes in Sudan during January to September. An estimated
100,000 people in Burundi have become newly displaced or new
refugees. Violence in Central African Republic and Somalia has
forced 60,000 and 15,000 people to flee in those countries,
respectively.
Approximately 9 million people were already refugees or internally
displaced in Central Africa and the Horn of Africa before 2001.
Events during the first three-quarters of 2001 have added 570,000
newly uprooted people in those troubled regions of a troubled
continent.
"Peace has not yet become the norm in much of Central and East
Africa," said Jeff Drumtra, senior Africa policy analyst for USCR.
"War, civil violence, and fear still dominate the lives of too many
people, whose only recourse is to leave everything behind and flee.
International diplomats like to boast that peace negotiations are
progressing in Congo-Kinshasa, Sudan, and Burundi, but for too many
families there the terror and daily misery have not changed a bit."
This year's massive population upheavals in Africa have been
relatively ignored by the international media and most world
leaders.
"The international community at this moment is fixated on the
possibility that hundreds of thousands of people in Afghanistan
might flee their homes in coming weeks. It is a legitimate concern.
But more than a half-million people have already fled their homes
in Central Africa and the Horn of Africa in recent months because
of wars that are already happening. A vast number of these uprooted
people in Africa receive virtually no humanitarian assistance, or
they have experienced cutbacks this year in the modest amounts of
relief aid that reaches them," Drumtra said.
Aid to uprooted populations in Africa and elsewhere has suffered
cutbacks in recent years. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees,
for example, has received only about $600 million of the $874
million it requires this year to assist refugees worldwide even
before the heightened concerns about Afghanistan. The budget
proposed by the Bush Administration for FY 2002--still under
consideration in Congress--would cut U.S. funding for overseas
refugee assistance by $5 million.
BURUNDI UPDATE: FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 2001
(Updated by USCR October, 2001)
Background
A civil war that began in the early-1990s has intensified in recent
years, leaving more than 100,000 Burundians dead. Ethnic Hutu
rebels continue to fight against the country's ethnic
Tutsi-dominated government and military. Former South African
President Nelson Mandela has attempted to mediate negotiations for
peace.
At the beginning of 2001, more than a million Burundians were
uprooted from their homes, including 400,000 Burundian refugees in
neighboring countries and an estimated 600,000 internally displaced
persons.
Political / Military / Human Rights Developments through September
Mandela announced in July that peace negotiations had produced
agreement on a three-year transitional government in which Tutsi
and Hutu leaders would share power beginning in November. Two main
Hutu rebel groups did not participate in the agreement and vowed to
continue fighting. Numerous Tutsi and Hutu political leaders
criticized the accord, leaving many Burundians and international
diplomats to doubt the depth of support for the agreement. Several
African countries, including Nigeria and South Africa, indicated a
willingness to deploy peacekeeping troops to Burundi to help
bolster the accord. Burundian officials debated how best to protect
politicians returning from exile to participate in the transitional
government.
Rebel attacks and ambushes gained strength during the first nine
months of the year, particularly in southern, eastern, central, and
western areas of Burundi. ...
Analysts expressed concern that a peace accord in neighboring
Congo-Kinshasa was inadvertently pushing Burundian rebels from
their bases in Congo-Kinshasa and into Burundi. The Burundian
government continued to charge that Burundian rebels were using
refugee camps in Tanzania as military bases, creating tensions
between the two governments. Burundi's president warned of an
"almost open state of war" along the Burundi-Tanzania border. A UN
Security Council team lamented the "complexity and intractability"
of the Burundian conflict.
New Uprooted Populations through September
An estimated 100,000 or more Burundians newly fled their homes
during the first three-quarters of 2001. ...
Humanitarian Conditions through September
General humanitarian conditions remained bad during the first nine
months of 2001. Economic conditions in the capital continued to
deteriorate, fueling increased crime. In rural areas, local
harvests were as small as 5 percent of pre-war levels because of
poor rains, population displacement, and insecurity. ...
UN humanitarian agencies appealed to international donors for $102
million to assist Burundians in 2001. Only about $16 million had
been donated by May. The funding shortfall, combined with security
problems, left "urgent" needs unaddressed for health care, drinking
water, and nutrition, UN aid officials warned. ...
An estimated 600,000 Burundians were believed to be internally
displaced as of September 2001. This included some 380,000 at 210
displacement sites, plus approximately 200,000 other displaced
persons who lived with friends, families, or on their own beyond
the reach of aid programs. ...
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC UPDATE: FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 2001
(Updated by USCR October 1, 2001)
Background
The Central African Republic suffered numerous mutinies by its
military in the mid-1990s against the country's democratically
elected government. Rounds of violence displaced tens of thousands
of people in the country's capital, Bangui. UN peacekeeping troops
helped restore order and remained in the country until 2000. The
country avoided significant violence or new population displacement
during 1998-2000 despite continued political tensions.
At the beginning of 2001, the Central Africa Republic was producing
relatively few refugees or internally displaced persons. The
country hosted about 55,000 refugees from neighboring countries.
Political / Military / Human Rights Developments through September
General Andre Kolingba, a former president of the country, launched
a surprise coup attempt against democratically elected President
Ange-Felix Patasse in May. Pro-government forces defeated the coup
attempt and retaliated against Kolingba's Yakoma ethnic group. The
capital suffered heavy damage and hundreds of deaths in ten days of
fighting. Atrocities and other human rights abuses continued in
July before diminishing in August and September. Armed crime in the
capital and on highways increased after the coup attempt because of
the proliferation of weapons.
A report by the UN Secretary General characterized the coup attempt
as "wholly unexpected" despite severe political and economic
tensions preceding the coup effort. Soldiers involved in the coup
attempt fled to neighboring Congo-Kinshasa, where they posed a
"legitimate concern" to security in the region, the UN Secretary
General warned in September. The same UN report noted "sharp
political tensions, further economic decline, simmering social
tension, and a troubling lack of security" in the aftermath of the
violence.
New Uprooted Populations through September
An estimated 60,000 to 80,000 residents of Bangui fled their homes
during the May coup attempt and subsequent retaliations. More than
half of the displaced population were children under the age of 15,
according to government figures. ...
By mid-July, between 10,000 and 40,000 people had returned to their
homes even though smaller numbers of residents continued to flee
anew because of continued atrocities against the Yakoma population.
Most of those who remained uprooted during August-September were
believed to be Yakoma who feared retribution if they returned home.
...
Humanitarian Conditions through September
Humanitarian conditions were difficult in many areas of Bangui
after the violence. Additional damage caused by heavy rains and
flooding aggravated the situation. The coup attempt temporarily
blocked Bangui's main highway, causing a food shortage. Many
displaced families were exposed to heavy rains before they could
find shelter. Residents of nearby towns and neighborhoods struggled
to supply food, drinking water, and medicines to the displaced
persons in their midst. ...
The 20,000 to 25,000 Bangui residents who fled to Congo-Kinshasa to
live as refugees congregated in the Congolese town of Zongo--about
a mile from Bangui--where they faced "extremely difficult
conditions," UNHCR reported. Some 15,000 refugees continued to live
in Zongo in September, some 10,000 others lived in scattered
Congolese villages along the border between the two countries, and
3,000 refugees moved deeper into Congo-Kinshasa, away from the
border. ...
The short but intense violence in Central African Republic "wiped
out" economic gains of the past five years, according to the
country's prime minister. The coup attempt and large-scale
population upheaval "will without a doubt have catastrophic
consequences for an already fragile economy," the UN Secretary
General stated in July. "There is no question that it is poverty
which...is the breeding ground for the instability experienced by
the Central African Republic...."
The government of the Central African Republic requested $95
million in aid for emergency relief, development and rehabilitation
projects, and reintegration of uprooted people. International donor
countries responded with only meager funding as of September. ...
CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE UPDATE: FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 2001
(Updated by USCR October 1, 2001)
Background
Nearly a decade of politically motivated ethnic violence killed an
estimated 20,000 people and displaced as many as 800,000 persons in
Congo-Brazzaville during the 1990s. A 1999 cease-fire returned the
country to a tenuous peace and allowed the vast majority of
uprooted Congolese to return to their homes.
At the beginning of 2001, about 20,000 Congolese remained refugees
in neighboring countries. Despite its own political and economic
problems, Congo-Brazzaville hosted some 120,000 refugees from other
African countries, primarily from Congo-Kinshasa and Angola.
Political / Military / Human Rights Developments through September
Congo-Brazzaville's fragile peace continued to hold during the
first nine months of 2001. "Peace has been restored in villages
where war once prevailed," President Sassou-Nguesso stated in
September.
The government conducted a "national dialogue" to draft a new
constitution. Groups opposed to the president refused to
participate. The national parliament adopted the new constitution
in September. Citizens are scheduled to vote in a referendum on the
new constitution in late 2001. ...
The country's economically important Congo River reopened to
commercial traffic in May after regional violence forced its
closure for nearly three years.
New Uprooted Populations through September
Most citizens of Congo-Brazzaville continued the gradual process of
reintegration and reconstruction during the first nine months of
2001. Approximately 150,000 persons remained internally displaced
as of July, according to UN estimates. About 20,000 Congolese
refugees remained outside the country despite growing interest in
facilitating organized voluntary repatriation for them. ...
Congo-Brazzaville continued to host up to 90,000 refugees from
Congo-Kinshasa as of September. ...
Humanitarian Conditions through September
Humanitarian agencies ended most emergency relief programs in early
2001 and switched to rehabilitation and development assistance. An
estimated 150,000 internally displaced Congolese were able to
support themselves and no longer required special emergency aid,
relief agencies concluded.
Previously uprooted citizens of Congo-Brazzaville struggled to
reconstruct their homes, businesses, and the country's social
services. The country's health system remained in ruins--60 percent
of all health centers were closed, according to some reports.
Medecins Sans Frontieres reported increased levels of potentially
fatal sleeping sickness. ...
Reconstruction aid from international donors was meager. UNICEF,
for example, received only $1 million in funding through September
for programs requiring $4.9 million. UNICEF repaired and
re-equipped 58 health centers and announced plans to repair 20
schools out of 1,700 schools needing of rehabilitation. ...
CONGO-KINSHASA UPDATE: FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 2001
(Updated by USCR October 1, 2001)
Background
Congo-Kinshasa is often considered to be Africa's most
strategically important country because it is geographically the
second largest country in Africa, is one of the continent's five
largest in population size, borders nine countries, and contains
immense deposits of gold, diamonds, and other lucrative natural
resources.
Congo-Kinshasa has suffered warfare since 1998, involving armies
from eight African countries and at least seven other armed groups.
International observers have characterized the war in Congo as "a
continent-wide free-for-all." Congolese rebels and their allies
loosely control one-third to one-half of the country. The war
follows three decades of corrupt mismanagement by former President
Mobutu Sese Seko, who was ousted from power in 1997. Many areas of
the immense country have been cut off from outside aid for three
years.
At the beginning of 2001, an estimated 2.1 million Congolese were
uprooted from their homes, including approximately 1.8 million
internally displaced persons and some 350,000 Congolese refugees in
other countries. Some 270,000 refugees from neighboring countries
lived in Congo-Kinshasa despite its war.
Political / Military / Human Rights Developments through September
A fragile peace process made progress during the first nine months
of 2001. Congolese President Joseph Kabila, who took power when his
father, President Laurent Kabila, was assassinated in January,
demonstrated a stronger commitment to the peace process.
Preparations continued throughout August and September for a key
meeting of Congolese groups, known as the Inter-Congolese Dialogue,
scheduled for mid-October. "There is clear, visible progress" in
the peace process, a UN peacekeeping official stated in September.
Major armies adhered to a cease-fire in many areas, although
increasingly serious violations occurred in September. Most armies
pulled back from frontline positions. Government armies from
Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda partially withdrew troops from
Congolese territory but did not comply with UN resolutions calling
for their total withdrawal. Namibia completed the withdrawal of
virtually all its troops. Some 2,300 UN military observers and
peacekeeping troops extended their deployment to more than 20
locations to monitor the cease-fire. Congolese authorities disarmed
3,000 ethnic Hutu Rwandan combatants aligned with the government
and turned them over to UN officials.
Despite the official cease-fire, extensive violence by militia and
other unofficial armed groups persisted in some regions,
particularly in eastern Congo. ... "Even though the war along the
conventional frontline has more or less ceased, eastern [Congo] has
suffered an increase in violence," a report by Oxfam/Great Britain
and other aid agencies noted in August. ...
New Uprooted Populations through September
Approximately a quarter-million Congolese became newly uprooted
between November 2000 and May 2001, UN humanitarian officials
estimated. ...
A UN report in September estimated that three years of war had left
approximately 2 million persons internally displaced in
Congo-Kinshasa, including about a million people in eastern Congo's
North Kivu and South Kivu Provinces, which were occupied by
indigenous rebel forces as well as troops from Rwanda, Uganda, and
Burundi. ... Approximately 330,000 Congolese were refugees
in other countries.
By September, Congo-Kinshasa was Africa's second largest source of
uprooted people. About one-sixth of all uprooted people on the
continent were Congolese.
Humanitarian Conditions through September
A thorough assessment of humanitarian conditions in Congo-Kinshasa
remained difficult because large areas of the country were still
inaccessible to regular visits by international relief officials.
Humanitarian agencies had access to less than half of the country's
displaced population in August because of security concerns. ...
A report in August by three international relief agencies warned
that "many Congolese are hovering on the brink between life and
death," with "appalling levels of hunger, disease, ...death,
and...countless abuses of human rights." Some 16 million
people--one-third of the population--needed substantial food
assistance, the report said. Up to 30 percent of children were
severely malnourished at some locations, according to aid workers.
Death rates among children reached 11 per day per 10,000 children
in some parts of southern Congo's Katanga province, the UN World
Food Program (WFP) reported in September. ...
This material is being reposted for wider distribution by
Africa Action (incorporating the Africa Policy Information
Center, The Africa Fund, and the American Committee on Africa).
Africa Action's information services provide accessible
information and analysis in order to promote U.S. and
international policies toward Africa that advance economic,
political and social justice and the full spectrum of human rights.
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