For Immediate Release:

D.R. Congo: Uganda Must Protect Civilians in Ituri

(New York, 7 April, 2003) - Ugandan forces and their allies must prevent
the killing of civilians in Ituri in northeastern Congo, Human Rights
Watch said in an open letter to President Museveni of Uganda today after
information of yet another massacre of civilians surfaced over the
weekend.

The killing of civilians in Drodro and Blukwa in Ituri, northeastern
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on April 3 is the latest in a surge
of killings and other serious human rights abuses that have taken place
in the area. Reports from the field suggest that Lendu militias, who
may have been supported by Ugandan soldiers, attacked remnants of the
recently ousted Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) Hema forces. The
operation degenerated into a killing spree targeting primarily Hema, and
hundreds were reportedly killed.

"This massacre follows a horrific pattern we've seen in Ituri in recent
months, where military operations often turn into the slaughter of
civilians," said Alison Des Forges, senior advisor to the Africa
Division of Human Rights Watch. "The Ugandan forces have a
responsibility to prevent such killings by their own troops and their
allies."

Human Rights Watch research recently conducted in Ituri shows that at
least 4,000 people have lost their lives in ethnic killings over the
past eight months on both sides of the ethnic divide. Uganda's volatile
sponsorship of a variety of ethnic militias in Ituri has inflamed the
situation.

Human Rights Watch has urged the government of Uganda to:
· Give clear instructions to Ugandan commanders and those of their
allies in Ituri, specifically the Lendu militias and other elements of
Front for Peace and Integration in Ituri (FIPI), to respect fully the
provisions of international humanitarian law.
· Launch an investigation into any violations of humanitarian law that
may have been committed by Ugandan troops or those of their allies in
Ituri since 1999, including the recent Drodro massacre and the attacks
on Bunia on March 6, 2003 as well as August 9, 2002, and hold those
responsible accountable.
· Allow full access to independent human rights investigators looking
into allegations of human rights abuses and violations of international
humanitarian law.

"The people of Ituri have suffered enough and must be spared the
terrible consequences of further military actions and killings where
they often pay the highest price," said Des Forges.

To read the Human Rights Watch letter, please see:
http://www.hrw.org/press/2003/congo0407ltr.htm [2].

For more information, please contact:

In Washington DC, Janet Fleischman: +1-202-612-4325
In London, Anneke Van Woudenberg: +44-20-7713-2786
In Brussels, Vanessa Saenen: +322-732-2009