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Doctors used as rebel bait by DRC army

The medical charity was vaccinating thousands of children against measles on October 17 at seven sites in the rebel-held Masisi district in eastern DR Congo when the national army launched attacks

Nov 6, 2009 7:59 PM | By Sapa-AFP

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) today said it was "used as bait" by the Democratic Republic of Congo's army in attacks on rebels at sites where the aid group was carrying out vaccinations for children.


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Congolese children displaced by fighting are given biscuits by an NGO worker.
Congolese children displaced by fighting are given biscuits by an NGO worker.
Photograph by: T.J. Kirkpatrick
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

"MSF denounces this clearly unacceptable abuse of humanitarian aid for military purposes," said the organisation in a statement.

The medical charity was vaccinating thousands of children against measles on October 17 at seven sites in the rebel-held Masisi district in eastern DR Congo when the national army launched attacks, forcing the women and children to flee.

"Scattering everywhere, they are now in unknown locations and thus cannot be vaccinated," said MSF.

"We feel we were used as bait," said Luis Encinas, head of MSF programmes in Central Africa. "The attacks coincided with the beginning of our vaccination and put the lives of civilians in extreme risk."

MSF said that in keeping with standard procedure, the aid group had informed parties including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebel group, the Congolese government and UN peacekeepers, of the immunisation programme before starting it.

"It is this neutrality that makes it possible for MSF teams to vaccinate in such FDLR-controlled zones, which, until that point, had been inaccessible to Ministry of Health staff," it said.

However, such attacks "seriously compromise our neutrality," said Encinas.

MSF also noted that there have been a "worrying increase in attacks against" aid groups in the eastern provinces of Nord-Kivu and Sud-Kivu.

"MSF demands that all parties to a conflict respect the work of humanitarian organisations. If not, it is the populations who pay the price," said Meinie Nicolai, MSF director of operations.

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Nov 6 2009 08:14:10 PM
hoodoo
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another lovelly story from our continent...
Nov 6 2009 09:45:40 PM
mbongwam
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whites are behind this as we all know how they hate us.
Nov 6 2009 11:41:57 PM
jsavo
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mbongwam
BED !
Nov 7 2009 05:46:04 AM
blakat
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Unacceptable behaviour - especially by a government. It astounds me that someone here has the gall to blame anyone except the commanders of the army but then we have had quite a few brainless comments here, haven't we?
Nov 7 2009 06:12:29 AM
Africa_need_No_link_to_europe
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The War in DRC was started by the EU and USA after Mubutu (their former partial puppet) Quit being their puppet and ever since they overthrow Mubutu and started the civil war, they have been looting DRC and doing all sort of experiment on it population.

Doctor without Borders Is a French organization that serve French criminal interest and they hide behind the fake image they give of being a charity.

French are deeply racist, and have a proven track record of hatred toward Africans, the French Riot in 2007 by Africans and Arabs was because of the institutionalized racism against brown 'black" people and Arabs by the pinks "whites" in France.

You will realize that French groups operate where the French or French speaking Belgium has been operating during slavery and their evil colonization of Africa and the English organization operate where English where enslaving or colonizing.

Why should a western Europeans organization be the one doing vaccination on children in DRC and not the world health organization or the UNHCR?

If you observe you will see that England based organization operate where England oppressing area where and the French operate where theirs where, they want to preserve their colonial legacy alive.

And why should people who hate us as seen by their history of terror in Africa and the long history of racism against us be allowed into places where vulnerable Africans are.

We call on the AU to get those enemies organization out and send assistance to our needy people since the UN seem not be operating there.

The AU should not allow the colonialists to use every opportunity they have to cause havoc and protect their supremacy over us.

doing vaccination on kids the AU can do it with easy, pink "white" countries and their organization are our deep enemies and time to end their supremacy over us, and time to stop them hiding behind the world charity or helping the war kids to keep dominating us, AU take your responsibility by helping the African needy war victims or resign.

Our entire existence is in danger by allowing such people access to the people they hate.
Nov 7 2009 06:50:12 AM
Sue
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@ Africa_need_No_link_to_europe
Dude - whatever you're smoking, you should market it. It must be really good stuff.
Get over yourself - really!!!
Nov 7 2009 07:04:54 AM
jones2000
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bongo boy

if the west is sooooo bad, why do all you cretins try and get there?
Nov 7 2009 11:03:47 AM
Africa_need_No_link_to_europe
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That criminal bloc of state that call itself the west, has total supremacy over our information sector and give the impression that it is paradise over there, that is why our people go there.

But informed Africans know that it is hell over there for the people having our beautiful skin color, we also know the EU is the homeland human traffickers, that is where most of the victims of human trafficking end up.

We do not want to have any link with these devilish countries. Africa will move in a direction completely different from that horrible entity of terror.


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