Fighting continues, entire Pool region inaccessible

The entire Pool region of the Republic of Congo (ROC) remains inaccessible, even for humanitarian missions, with Congolese authorities stating that access will not be possible until at least 25 April, the office of the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in the ROC reported on Monday. The situation "remains tense" in various localities of the Pool region, although there are no reports of fighting this weekend, according to the report. However, humanitarian sources did note that a build-up of military forces in the Pool region was continuing. Political opposition parties have alleged that the ROC government is recruiting mercenaries, as well as additional Angolan forces. Since 1997, Angola has had a military contingent in the ROC, where it supported President Denis Sassou-Nguesso's forces during the 1997 and 1998-99 civil wars. In Kinkala, located in the Pool region some 79 km west of the ROC capital, Brazzaville, three internally displaced person (IDP) sites harbouring a population of about 3,500 appear to have been spontaneously deserted over the weekend after more than 30 young men were taken from the camps by government forces and did not return. The whereabouts of the 3,500 people is unknown. As a result of humanitarian evaluation missions, information thus far suggests that only 10,000 of Pool's 220,000 inhabitants have found refuge outside the region, in IDP sites in Brazzaville, Lekoumou, Bouenza and Plateaux regions. "The condition of those persons who remain within Pool is cause for serious concern," the UN reported. The UN and its partners would continue their dialogue with government authorities to obtain access to this region, it said. Humanitarian sources reported they were currently working on the basis of two scenarios. In one, it was envisaged that the situation in Pool might calm down this week, enabling people to resume normal lives. In the other, it was envisaged that fighting could escalate throughout Pool, in which case the population risked being trapped in the conflict zone. A humanitarian evaluation mission planned last week to Kindamba, about 170 km northwest of Brazzaville in the Pool region, had to be aborted due to reports of fighting in the area. According to government sources, over 5,000 IDPs have found refuge in Kindamba, a small and isolated town of 5,000 inhabitants. "The presence of 5,000 displaced over the last week and a half is believed to have led to dire humanitarian circumstances," the UN reported. The situation in Brazzaville is reported to be calm, although not all who fled their homes in the southern neighbourhoods on 9 April have returned. The UN Children's Fund has identified 18,945 IDPs living with families in the capital. Distributions of basic non-food items for these IDPs have begun. In Zanaga, in the Lekoumou region northwest of Brazzaville, a joint humanitarian mission to assess the situation of IDPs found that only a few people had found refuge in neighbouring villages, and that all were well integrated within host families. The mission concluded that no immediate assistance was required in this area. In Djambala, in the Plateaux region north of Brazzaville, another mission confirmed the presence of 217 IDPs living with families. While no immediate humanitarian needs were identified, some assistance, such as the vaccination of children, will be delivered. "Humanitarian agencies are desperate for someone in the international community to take the initiative and at least send envoys to inspect the latest carnage and show Sassou-Nguesso's government that the world is watching him," a recent article in the Mail & Guardian of Johannesburg, South Africa, stated. "So far, their requests have met with a deafening silence." Meanwhile: * AP reported on Tuesday that Ninja militias had been holding a French Roman Catholic priest since 31 March. Father Jean Duth has reportedly suffered a bullet wound to his shin. * The government reported that 12 soldiers had been dismissed from the army for looting in Brazzaville's southern neighbourhoods of Bacongo, Kissoundi and Makelekele on 9 April, taking advantage of an army crackdown on alleged Ninja militiamen to loot shops and houses abandoned by fleeing owners. * The government stated that a call by the opposition politician, Andre Milongo, to postpone upcoming legislative elections would have "no chance of success" since elections had already been postponed for two weeks. Legislative and local elections are scheduled for 26 May. Hostilities first erupted in the ROC at the end of March, when several government military positions in Pool region were attacked by Ninja militias, according to official sources. Ninja representatives have countered that the clashes were provoked when they discovered government plans to arrest their leader, the Rev Frederic Bitsangou (alias Ntoumi).