Thousands flee fighting in eastern Congo

[struggle4progress]

Source: Reuters

Sat Oct 20, 2007 2:55pm EDT
By Joe Bavier

GOMA, Congo (Reuters) ...

Villagers from Bunagana and nearby settlements of Jomba, Runyoni and Bweza poured into Rutshuru, the government-held local administrative seat, around 8 a.m. (0600 GMT).

"What I saw was horrendous. It was raining. They didn't know where to go. Three women gave birth while they were fleeing," said Sylvie Van Den Wildenberg, MONUC spokeswoman in North Kivu.

"The humanitarian consequences of whatever is happening there are very serious."

Around 370,000 people have already fled fighting between government soldiers, Nkunda loyalists, local militias and Rwandan Hutu rebels since the beginning of the year ...

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL1716041620071020