Polio campaign begins

UN agencies in the DRC have appealed to the warring parties to respect their commitment to stop fighting during the first phase of a national polio immunisation campaign, which started on Friday. In a statement received by IRIN, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the DRC and the country representatives of UNICEF and WHO called on the parties to the conflict to observe "Days of Tranquillity," which was an "indispensable condition for the success of the National Immunisation Days". The campaign aims to vaccinate some 10 million Congolese children against polio. The statement said numerous locations in the country were still affected by violence with some 20 health zones, notably around Kisangani, remaining inaccessible to vaccination teams. "Over the past several months, thousands of people throughout the country have been striving to ensure the success of this event, which transcends the mere medical dimension and testifies to the way a society takes care of its most vulnerable component: its children under five years old," the officials said in the statement. "It is the responsibility of all the parties to respect their solemn commitment...and to put the interest of the Congolese people above all other considerations," they added. RCD-Goma declares humanitarian ceasefire The head of the Goma faction of the rebel Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD), Emile Ilunga, has declared a temporary ceasefire to allow the polio campaign to take place, the Rwanda News Agency (RNA) reported on Thursday. The truce, which started on Friday, was a "humanitarian gesture to facilitate the United Nations workers to carry out the polio eradication campaign," Ilunga was quoted as saying. Ilunga's message was broadcast on all radio and television stations under rebel control, RNA added. Uganda accused of "sabotaging" campaign The RCD-Goma faction also accused Uganda of "sabotaging" the vaccination campaign by impounding a cargo aircraft carrying immunisation supplies to Buta in Province Orientale, RNA said. The group's vice-president, Moise Nyarugabo, was quoted as saying Ugandan military commander James Kazini had "ordered this act on pretext that the plane carrying 400,000 doses of vaccine had not asked for landing clearance from the Ugandan forces occupying that area." The vaccine risks to be spoiled in a matter of a few hours," he added. Humanitarian sources told IRIN this week that logistical preparations for the campaign had been hindered by lack of flight clearances in several rebel-held areas, and the reduced availability of air transport owing to increased tension between military forces in Kisangani and the requisitioning of aircraft.