Amnesty demands halt to Hema-Lendu slaughter

The international human rights organisation Amnesty International on Wednesday expressed “grave fears” for the safety of civilians in the Ituri region of northeastern DRC, following the killing in the town of Bunia of at least 200 civilians during recent violence between the Lendu and the Hema ethnic groups. Ugandan military forces in control of the town failed to prevent many of these killings, although they were “apparently in a position to do so”, Amnesty stated in a press release. “The latest killings and the climate of extreme distrust which is once again taking hold in the region are an indication that ethnic violence is set to intensify and could lead to renewed large-scale loss of civilian life,” it warned. “Uganda, as the authority in ultimate control in the region, has a clear responsibility to act impartially to protect civilian life and to prevent a further slide into violence,” it said. “The international community, too, must face up to the scale and gravity of this conflict and take a more active role in ending the violence against civilians,” it added. The Hema-Lendu conflict originated in a dispute over land rights in June 1999. The organisation noted that during the latter half of 1999, Hema armed groups carried out a campaign to drive Lendu from their homes in the Ituri region, which is rich in mineral wealth. It said that by the beginning of 2000, the conflict had left an estimated 7,000 civilians dead and more than 180,000 displaced. Throughout the conflict there were consistent reports that Ugandan and allied troops sided with the Hema and were involved in killings and other abuses against the Lendu, Amnesty stated.