Online Reporter
Thousands of new Congolese refugees continue to cross the border into neighbouring Burundi to escape fighting in the eastern Congo.
It comes after more than 400 civilians have been killed since the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group escalated its offensive in the South Kivu province, regional officials said.
At the makeshift camp in Kansega in western Burundi, refugees described living conditions as deplorable, saying they have no water, no toilets and no shelter.
Stripped of everything, these people told The Associated Press they endured extreme hardships before arriving in Burundi.
“We ask (Rwandan President Paul) Kagame to have a human heart. If he tells us to go back, we can.
“That’s what we are asking of him. Pity us,” said Congolese refugee Nayonde Mbilize.
Local United Nations partners report that more than 200 000 people have been displaced across the province since December 2, with more than 70 killed.
More camps are expected to be established by the UN refugee agency to deal with the influx.
M23’s latest offensive comes despite a United States-mediated peace agreement signed a fortnight ago by the Congolese and Rwandan presidents in Washington.
The accord did not include the rebel group, which is negotiating separately with Congo and agreed earlier this year to a ceasefire that both sides accuse the other of violating.
However, it obliges Rwanda to halt support for armed groups and work to end hostilities.
More than 100 armed groups are vying for a foothold in the mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda, most prominently M23.
The conflict has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced, according to the UN agency for refugees. — Africanews
