17 Rwandans Die In DR Congo Military Camp

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says 17 people, including nine children, have died in camp where Rwandan rebels and their dependants who surrendered were gathered in South Kivu.

RDC President Felix Tshisekedi announced on Friday last week in Parliament that FARDC and local people in Kalehe territory in South Kivu had captured 1,712 combatants and their dependants of “CNRD negative group”.

The surrenders are result of weeks of military operations in the region. Those handing themselves in were taken to Nyamunyunyi military camp.

However, 302 of them, all of whom are armed combatants were removed from the camp last week, and 291 were actually repatriated to Rwanda on Monday Nov 16. Their families remained there.

ICRC says in a statement that 1,400 people remain in the camp, noting that the “humanitarian situation at Nyamunyunyi military camp is extremely worrying”.

“We have transferred two wounded persons and ten sick children to the General Provincial Referral Hospital in Bukavu, which is currently saturated.”

The ICRC says it also delivered half a tonne of medicines and medical supplies to Nyamunyunyi hospital and visited hundreds of people deprived of their liberty.

“It is essential that any transfer process comply fully with the guarantees established by international law. We call on the authorities to ensure, before taking any new decision, that transfers are arranged in an informed and voluntary manner for all persons considered to be at risk,” said Jeremy England, head of the ICRC delegation in the DRC. “People deprived of their liberty, their families, the sick and the wounded must be treated humanely and with respect for their dignity.”