Democratic Republic of the Congo: Displacement, abductions and looting continue
| Publisher | Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC) |
| Publication Date | 26 May 2011 |
| Cite as | Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC), Democratic Republic of the Congo: Displacement, abductions and looting continue, 26 May 2011, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4de3684d2.html [accessed 24 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
While the UN Security Council is preparing a new resolution on the mandate of the UN Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), IDMC/NRC that more should be done to ensure the protection of IDPs, especially in the months leading up to the national elections in November.
Over 10,000 people fled their homes in May in Shabunda territory, South Kivu, to escape attacks by the militia of the Forces for the Democratic Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). The FDLR is reported to have abducted civilians in several towns of Shabunda, or to demand ransom from villagers in exchange for not being attacked, while the national army remains largely absent in that territory. Several humanitarian NGOs suspended their activities in May in areas of South Kivu Province, following the attack of their vehicles, reportedly by FDLR militias.
In Orientale Province, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) is reported to have attacked two villages in Bas-Uele district in mid-May, looting humanitarian assistance and abducting 25 people, including 14 children. In Ituri district, land conflicts are reported between IDPs and those who recently returned home after being internally displaced. These returning IDPs need urgent assistance in food security, shelter, water and sanitation, education, health and nutrition and non-food items.
In North Kivu Province, looting, abductions and sporadic attacks by the FDLR and Mai Mai militias are regularly in the territories of Beni, Lubero, and Walikale (2).
A million people is estimated to have returned home between mid-2009 and the end of 2010; but there were an estimated 1.7 million IDPs at the end of March 2011, according to OCHA.
