Joseph Kariuki
4 December 2008
Kampala — THE Government has relocated over 10,000 Congolese refugees from the Ishasha border town to Matanda Transit Centre for security reasons.
Over 13,000 refugees fled into the country last week following the capture of Congo's Ishasha town by rebel leader Laurent Nkunda.
Minister for disaster preparedness Musa Ecweru on Wednesday said the rebels operating along the border made the refugees insecure from attacks.
Ecweru said 45 Police officers have been deployed to guard the refugees.
The total number of Congolese refugees who have fled into Uganda since August is about 27,000.
Out of these, 9,800 have been transferred to Nakivale, 10,000 to Matanda Transit Centre, 6,500 hosted by local communities, while 3,700 have remained at the Ishasha border.
Matanda, which is 27km from Ishasha, can hold up to 15,000 refugees.
"Life is too hard, we are about to faint with hunger. We just sit here waiting for death. We have no tent and nobody has told us where to get them," said Jean Pierre Kiswahili, a disabled refugee, surrounded by his eight children.
All the refugees are registered at the centre where they are given a family card, soap, basin, blanket and a jerrican for water.
Peace talks are going on to end the insurgency. withnda has helped advance peace efforts in DR Congo.
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