Transfer of CAR soldiers done; civilians to be moved

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported on Tuesday the successful transfer of some 1,000 former Central African Republic (CAR) soldiers from the border town of Zongo in northern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to a site at Bokilio, 120 km to the southeast.

With the transfer of the former soldiers finished, the UN agency said it could now proceed with the relocation of thousands of civilian refugees who fled fighting in the CAR earlier this year after an attempted coup by dissident soldiers on 28 May. An estimated 24,000 refugees entered the DRC, but only about 10,000 are likely to ask for a transfer to the new camp at Mole south of Zongo, UNHCR reported. The others are likely to remain in local communities where they have settled, which UNHCR said was "in line with its strategy for refugees in the DRC given the poor security conditions and lack of access to many parts of the country".

UNHCR and several NGOs have built a health clinic and latrines at Mole, and plan to truck in water and shelter material during the initial stages of the camp's operation for an initial 2,000 arrivals.

In an effort to encourage self-sufficiency, UNHCR will distribute fishing nets and tools to refugees who have found shelter with local villagers and are able to support themselves.

The transfer of the former soldiers, which began on 15 Oct., was carried out by the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC (known by its French acronym, MONUC), in cooperation with local authorities at the insistence of UNHCR. The agency wished to preserve the civilian nature of the camps, it said, thereby ensuring the safety of the refugees and the surrounding host populations. About 200 of the former soldiers continue to live in villages scattered along the Ubangui River, which separates the DRC from CAR, but they are not considered a security risk because they are not mixing with civilians, UNHCR reported.

However, the refugee agency and MONUC have told the ex-soldiers they will receive help only if they move to Bokilio. The soldiers at Bokilio will undergo a period of observation that could last several months, during which it will be determined whether they have laid down their arms and stopped all military activity. After the trial period, they may apply for refugee status, UNHCR said.