Heavy displacements continue in South Kivu

Humanitarian sources report large numbers of people are still being displaced in South Kivu due to an upsurge in fighting between various rebel and anti-rebel groups. According to some sources, around 10,000 people have fled from Kalonge towards Bukavu in the last 10 days. They say that exodus has most likely been triggered by Interahamwe activity around the northeastern edge of the Kahuzi-Biega national park.

However, the sources also report that more people are now fleeing from the area around Shabunda where fighting is believed to be taking place deep in the forest. There, the movements are believed to have been triggered by the activities of a mixture of Mayi-Mayi and Interahamwe and reprisal actions from the forces of the rebel Rassemblement congolais pour la
democratie (RCD) and their allies of the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA). Overall, however, the sources stress the picture is not clear. Some estimates now put the total number of displaced people in the area as high as 195,000. "The humanitarian space is shrinking and NGOs can no longer operate. It is not at all clear what the total number of displaced is and where they are," one senior humanitarian source told IRIN.

Sources also report tension between Rwandan Tutsis and Congolese
Banyamulenge Tutsis in the area, saying the latter are fearful they will pay the price of the local population's resentment against the outside force. At the same time, the Banyamulenge remain deeply suspicious of the government of President Laurent-Desire Kabila and have declined to take part in a peace conference called by religious groups in Kinshasa, saying
their safety would not be assured.

The situation in and around Uvira is also believed to have deteriorated sharply since mid-December with unconfirmed reports saying some 50,000 displaced people are now in the bush between Makobola, Luberizi and Bwegera and in a poor condition.