In an effort to end three weeks of witch killings that have claimed more than 300 lives, the governor of Ituri province in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Major Bule Ebangolo Basabe, has ordered the deployment of more Congolese rebel troops to police the district of Aru, the Ugandan government-owned ‘New Vision’ newspaper reported on Sunday. The administration of northeastern Congo falls under the Mouvement pour la liberation du Congo (MLC), led by Jean-Pierre Bemba. According to the ‘New Vision’, official death toll figures stand at 392 people. Bule told the newspaper that he had adopted a “proactive approach” in handling the situation. “Since my arrival I’ve held meetings with the local authorities and ordered more patrols in the disturbed areas. I also went on air on the local FM station (Radio Maison Ocean) to sensitise the people. I told them it was illegal to kill or banish people,” he said.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
Share this article
