February 17, 2000
Brazzaville - The government of Congo on Thursday appealed for international aid for refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, stating that at least 20,000 people have crossed into the northern Likouala region [which is one of the nine regions of the Congo Republic / Congo-Brazzaville]. The refugees have fled fighting under way between pro-government troops and rebels of the Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC), led by Jean-Pierre Bemba and backed by Uganda, government spokesman Francois Ibovi said in a broadcast. "The government asks the international community to provide substantial humanitarian aid for these refugees," Ibovi said, in a national radio comment after a cabinet meeting.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has sent several evaluation missions to the region bordering on northern DRC's Equateur province and delivered materials for shelters. The fighting has led Brazzaville authorities to restrict river traffic on the Oubangui, which marks the border between Likouala and Equateur province and is a tributary of the Congo river.
Officials here accuse the MLC of boarding Centrafrican and Congolese vessels to search for fuel and arms. For more than three months, Congolese boats from Brazzaville have been sailing as far as Impfondo, the chief town of Likouala, without going on to Dongou and Betou further north. Official missions to the two latter towns have been suspended.
