ZAIRE: RWANDAN REFUGEES SITUATION UPDATE

Описание: (23 Aug 1995) English/Nat

United Nations officials said on Wednesday more than 133-thousand refugees have fled to the hills and into the countryside escape expulsion from Zaire.

Despite warnings from the U-N and the U-S State Department that the drive could lead to a humanitarian disaster, Zaire continued the forced exodus of Rwandan and Burundian refugees today.

The exodus of refugees from Goma continues - with more scared people on the move, not sure where they will stop or what lies in store.

The U-N believes more than 133-thousand have now fled the camps to escape enforced expulsion.

They are believed to have headed for the hills, into the countryside and even to other camps to avoid being repatriated in Rwanda and Burundi.

Protests about the plight of the refugees have come from the U-N and the U-S State Department, but nonetheless Zaire stepped up the pace of their expulsion on Tuesday night and continued it on Wednesday.

These children were patients in a camp hospital, but now they are forced to move on.

Zaire has nearly two (m) million refugees from its nine neighbours - more than any other country in the world.

Of these, one (m) million are Rwandan and another 72-thousand are from Burundi.

Most of the Rwandans are ethnic Hutus who fled when Tutsi-led rebels seized power from the Hutu-dominated government in July last year.

Zaire is apparently pressuring the U-N into finding another country for the refugees, many of whom are scared of returning to Rwanda in case the Tutsis seek revenge.

A U-N official said they fear that the refugees may not use the packed trucks, preferring instead to risk the walk.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"We feel that instead of people coming back in transport, that they may begin to walk back, and if they begin to walk back, we may have something of a kind of tidal wave"

SUPER CAPTION: Engineer Khan, United Nations

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"I do know that the number of incidents, over the last six weeks, two months in this border area, have been on the increase; sabotage, killings, assassinations, security, they have been on the increase but beyond that I cannot say that there has been any untoward movement of the armed forces."

SUPER CAPTION: Engineer Khan, United Nations

Among the refugees are soldiers, militiamen and officials of the former government who are blamed for planning and carrying out the massacre of Tutsis last year.

The Rwandan government has claimed that Hutu militants were re-arming in the refugee camps and preparing to attack Rwanda.

Those that have fled the camps have little food and water - hence the warnings of a major humanitarian disaster.

On top of this are allegations that Zairean soldiers have beaten some of the refugees, looted their camps and set their huts on fire.

There are also unconfirmed reports that soldiers have shot refugees and raped some of the women.

Having fled their country and suffered in the camps, these refugees are now being moved on again - once more to an uncertain future.

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