:
Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire)
October 28, 2007: In eastern
Congo it's estimated that the fighting has created 370,000 refugees (displaced
people). Blame is placed on the various ethnic militias operating in the area,
militia gangs, and Congolese government forces. For example, Laurent Nkunda's
"renegade" Tutsi militia was accused of attacking 50 villages since the fall of
2006.
October 27, 2007: Some 50
Mai-Mai militiamen and their commander, Kasereka Kabamba, surrendered to
Congolese government forces and UN peacekeepers. The Congolese forces, with UN
support, surrounded the Mai-Mai group in North Kivu province. Kasereka alleges
that he and his fighters are "pro-Congolese government" and that they have
fought Laurent Nkunda's renegade Congolese Tutsi
militia. However, there are numerous reports that Mai-Mai fighters have at
least occasionally cooperated with Nkunda's fighters. The Mai-Mai are regarded
by many Congolese as opportunistic thugs.
October 26, 2007: Congo called
on the U.S. to support his attempts to "stabilize" the eastern Congo. The
government regards Laurent Nkunda's rebel militia as the major political
challenge in the eastern Congo. Nkunda may have as many as 4,000 armed fighters
under his command. The US promised to provide economic and political support to
the Congo.
October 25, 2007: No FDLR
fighters have entered the UN integration center at Kirolirwe in North Kivu. The
center is the major camp in the are for "reintegration" of militias into the
Congolese armed forces. On October 24 FDLR militia commander Laurent Nkunda said
that 500 of his fighters would report to a UN camps in North Kivu. Nkunda also
said that he was willing to demobilize his fighters.