Renewed Fighting In Eastern Congo

As fighting continued in late July between government forces and rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations refugee agency expressed concern for the welfare of civilians in the area, including many who have fled to Uganda. “Access to the area is not possible for humanitarian agencies, and conditions of those who do not make it across to Uganda are unclear,” the spokesperson for the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Adrian Edwards, told reporters in Geneva. “It takes refugees from the Kamango area around 12 hours to walk to the Ugandan border.” Tens of thousands of refugees first began pouring into western Uganda after fighting erupted between Allied Democratic Forces, a Ugandan rebel group, and Congo national troops in Kamango on July 11. “Many refugees brought their animals with them…and are sleeping in their tents with their ducks and goats, increasing the risk of disease,” Edwards said.