Refugees feared crossing into Congo, Zambia

Humanitarian sources in the Angolan capital Luanda said on Wednesday that they were checking reports that people fleeing heavy fighting between government forces and the UNITA rebel movement were starting to cross into neighbouring Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The sources told IRIN that humanitarian agencies, already assessing a huge movement of internally displaced people this week, were concerned at reports that some were fleeing to DRC and that as many as 450 people might have fled to Zambia. Humanitarian agencies were checking the reports with UNHCR. In the latest fighting around the Zaire Province capital of M’banza Congo 500 km north of Luanda which was captured by UNITA on 26 January, they cited unconfirmed reports of thousands fleeing towards the strategic oil installations at Soyo, and beyond towards the border of southwest DRC. Further south, outside the government-controlled town of Malanje, 380 km east of Luanda which has sustained heavy shelling from long-range UNITA artillery guns this week, the sources reported thousands of displaced people roaming the area. MSF Holland said a survey of the Malanje area showed growing levels of malnutrition.