United Nations Radio

Many people fleeing fighting in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are moving towards Uganda.

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) reports that about 600 Congolese refugees arrived at the Ugandan border town of Busanza this Friday.

According to the agency, most of the Congolese refugees in Uganda are dispersed in a dozen villages along the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

UNHCR spokesman, Ron Redmond says many of the refugees said they had walked for more than 20 hours from the Rugarama area in Congo which is about 17 kilometres from the border.

"They are in fairly good condition, but we fear that the situation could soon deteriorate if medical, water and sanitation facilities are unable to cope with rapidly increasing needs. Logistics are difficult. It's a very remote area. In addition, the food supplies in that part of Uganda generally depend on local imports from DRC."

Meanwhile, UNHCR is trying to verify reports that several camps for internally displaced people have been forcibly emptied in the North Kivu town of Rutshuru.

A UN team is also trying to get to Kibati, north of Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, to check reports that some of the 45,000 people who fled camps there are now beginning to return.

The situation in Goma itself is reported to be calm but tense.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

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