Hutu rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have returned home to Rwanda following repatriation by the UN mission with French acronym, MONUC. MONUC have repatriated 57 former Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR) fighters and 26 other ex-militiamen from war-torn north-eastern DRC under a UN-backed scheme.v:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
According to MONUC, more than 1,650 children have also been separated from the ranks of armed groups operating in the region since the start of the year.
The FDLR and other Rwandan militias have been a key factor in the resurgence of violence in North Kivu province, where another 100,000 civilians have been uprooted by fighting in the past several months, in addition to the many hundreds of thousands previously
In related news, the blue helmets in north-eastern DRC have established an alert and surveillance system across North Kivu in a bid to support Government forces (FARDC) against militia in the area.
MONUC said its operations received a further boost recently with the opening of another joint coordination centre to help restore safety and security to the volatile region, bringing the total number to eight such centers.
Source: AHU – Raymond Irambo