UN agency concerned about refugee crisis in DRC News
UN agency concerned about refugee crisis in DRC

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) [official website] expressed concerns [press release] on Wednesday over the fighting between Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) army and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebel forces, which has caused tens of thousands of people in the eastern DRC region to become intentionally displaced. Between late March and late last week, approximately 36,000 people were forced out of the Mpati, Kivuye, Nyange and Bweru sites, three of which were managed by UNHCR through a local partner in the Masisi district of DRC’s North Kivu province. While many have found refuge in other UNHCR-supported sites for internally displaced people (IDP), some are still camping in schools and churches and sleeping in banana fields near the vacated sites without adequate shelter. According to UNHCR, there are approximately 1.5 million IDPs in DRC, including more than a half-million in North Kivu. UNHCR is further worried that additional sites may be affected as the DRC army continues operations against the rebel FDLR and allied armed groups. UNHCR Regional Representative Stefano Severe urged “the authorities and the rival parties to ensure that the basic human rights of displaced people are respected and that they are found safe alternative shelter.” Severe stated that “Many are extremely vulnerable and were living in extreme poverty” and expressed his concerns over lack of food and access to health care for the displaced.

The DRC and surrounding regions have seen a high level of conflict in the past several decades contributing to increased concerns about human rights abuses and displacement of civilians. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein [official profile] and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [official website] expressed concern [JURIST report] Friday over reports coming out of the DRC regarding an apparent government security operation in an area of southern Brazzaville known as the Pool. In January Ban urged African leaders to avoid using loopholes and undemocratic constitutional changes to “cling to power” [JURIST report]. In October voters in DRC approved an amendment to the Constitution [text, PDF, in French] to allow President Denis Sassou Nguesso to extend his term in office [JURIST report]. The amendment allows presidents to renew [JURIST report] their term twice and removes the age limit for presidential candidates, currently set at 70. Nguesso, who is 72, would have been ineligible for the presidency without the amendment. The constitutional amendment was marked by protests and demonstrations [JURIST report] in January 2015 across the DRC and the government was accused of using excessive force against these protesters. In October 2014 the UN issued a report [JURIST report] that addressed the human rights violations taking place in connection with Operation Likofi. In July 2014 UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict [official website] presented a report outlining the situation of the child in the DRC, which found the recruitment of child soldiers [JURIST report] persists.