NGO lends its support to return of Pool IDPs

Action de secours d'urgence (ASU), the humanitarian arm of the evangelical church in the Republic of Congo, has launched a campaign to assist the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to the Pool Region, church president Alphonse Mbamba told IRIN on Wednesday in the capital, Brazzaville. The initiative, valued at 400 million francs CFA (US $721,449), will include food aid, material for rebuilding homes, construction machinery, cooking utensils, mosquito nets, medicines and farming equipment. It will target some 2,500 families who have recently returned to their villages in the districts of Mbanza Ndounga, Louingui, Boko, Loumo, Kinkala, Ngoma Tse-tse, Kindamba, Mindouli and Vinza. Mbamba said his group's assistance was only a small contribution to resolving a much larger problem, and that active participation of the government and other NGO partners was imperative. ASU deputy director Ange Ndandou added that in collaboration with Rev Dominique Ntsibatala of the Congolese army, a peace education and anti-drug programme was being conducted for the rehabilitation of ex-combatants, who would also be provided with basic supplies to support their return to civilian life. On 4 July, the Congolese government announced that it hoped to have all IDPs from the Pool Region returned to their homes by the end of July. The improved situation in Pool followed a peace agreement signed on 17 March between the government and "Ninja" rebels of Rev Frederic Bitsangou, alias Pasteur Ntoumi, which ended a year of hostilities. Tens of thousands of people fled the region, while fighting trapped many more.