Refugees International report

here is an update and recommendations for addressing a potential refugee situation in eastern congo, from Refugees International:

In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a Rwandan militia group, the FDLR (Forces Democratiques de Liberation du Rwanda), may finally be ready to lay down their arms and return in peace to Rwanda. But as the return process begins to be negotiated and organized, MONUC, the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC, the government of Rwanda and other implementing agencies are not paying adequate attention to the needs of FDLR dependents, leaving at least 40,000 women and children potentially vulnerable.

Tens of thousands of Rwandans have been living in the eastern DRC since the 1994 genocide in Rwanda - some as refugees and some as members of the FDLR. As conflict has swirled through the eastern DRC, militias and fighting forces have forcibly abducted Congolese women to serve as their "wives". The UN women's agency, UNIFEM, has stressed the importance of gathering information on this group and considering their needs in the planning of the demobilization and reintegration process. However, MONUC has made no plans to gather further information on the situation of the dependent women of the FDLR and have not planned any special efforts to sensitize these women to their rights in the repatriation process. A Kinshasa-based official involved in the demobilization program insisted to Refugees International, "They have been in the Congo for eleven years already! It's not like they haven't had time to think [repatriation to Rwanda] over."

...click here to continue reading the report, including recommendations for the international community...