Burundi: UN to build new safe camp for Congolese refugees following massacre

The United Nations reached an agreement with Burundi today to open a second camp deeper within the country to relocate Congolese refugees away from the dangerous border area with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where some 160 ethnic Tutsi Congolese were massacred last week.

Planning has been completed on the new site at Gizosi as well as a previously agreed location at Giharo, both in southeastern Burundi, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said.

"We are ready to start preparing the camps as soon as the government gives the final green light, which is expected on Monday," Ron Redmond told a news briefing in Geneva.

Some refugees remain reluctant to move and are seeking reassurance that they will be safe in the new location, he said.

The victims of last week's massacre - for which Burundi's ethnic Hutu rebel Forces Nationales de Liberation (FNL), the only group which has not joined the country's peace process, claimed responsibility - were among 860 Banyamulenge (ethnic Tutsi) at a transit centre in Gatumba, midway on the 30-kilometre route between the Burundi capital of Bujumbura and the DRC border town of Uvira.

They represented a fraction of 20,000 Congolese who have fled the DRC's South Kivu province since disgruntled commanders protesting the alleged mistreatment of the Banyamulenge rebelled in June.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said today it was providing food to the wounded and other survivors of the Gatumba camp massacre, and that it was ready to help refugees from the DRC when they are transferred to safer sites.

It added that it has been feeding tens of thousands of refugees who fled into Burundi from the DRC - with 1,000 tons of food aid delivered to them since June - but the extra load is hampering its capacity to cover food needs for Burundi from September to January.