Central African Republic
Central Africans flee Bangui to Congo

afrol News, 29 October - The situation in Bangui seems to remain tense after coup plotters have take control of almost half the city. There are reports that a number of Central African nationals are entering the Equateur province of Congo Kinshasa (DRC) at Zongo, a town directly across the Ubangui River from Bangui. 

- The refugees are fleeing a very tense situation in Bangui, where fighting and aerial bombing continued through the weekend, spokeswomen Delphine Marie of the UN refugee agency UNHCR said today. "Until late Monday, the tremors of bombing could be felt by UNHCR staff from Zongo, in northern DRC. The situation overnight was reported calm."

The MLC (Mouvement pour la Libération du Congo) rebels, who control the Congolese Equateur province, reported on Monday the arrival of a number of refugees who had crossed the border for safety. These were currently reported to be in Maba and Gbadoke, two Zongo neighbourhoods and entry points on the Ubangui river. 

A joint UNHCR / MLC assessment mission was scheduled to travel today to Maba and Gbadoke. UNHCR was also planning to open three registration centres in Zongo today to record the new arrivals and get information about their ethnic profile, Ms Marie said.

- We are concerned about potential tensions arising from the presence of refugees from different ethnic groups, the spokeswoman said. There were presently 3,400 Central African refugees from the Yakoma ethnic group in Mole camp, 35 kilometres from Zongo. These refugees arrived following the averted coup in May 2001. 

There were also 576 former combatants from the same ethnic background who are hosted at Bokilio, 100 kilometres from Zongo. The possible arrival of refugees from the Kaba ethnic group - the same as President Ange-Felix Patassé of the Central African Republic - could trigger some tension, the UN agency feared.

- UNHCR will carry out screening in an existing transit centre to separate refugees from the two rival groups, Ms Marie said "as well as any armed elements from the civilian population."

UNHCR Zongo had also obtained agreement from the rebel MLC authorities that they open a humanitarian corridor for a possible further influx of Central African asylum seekers to Zongo as a result of the current developments in Bangui.

UNHCR Zongo had further requested dry rations for distribution to the new asylum seekers. The boxes would be airlifted from Kinshasa to Zongo on Wednesday. The flight was also to carry water and other food and basic commodities.

Some 40 refugees from the Central African Republic who had recently gone home to Bangui had reported back in Mole camp, the Congo. Significant numbers of Congolese nationals were also reported to have crossed into Zongo overnight.

Sources: Based on UNHCR and afrol archives 

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