In this photo provided by UN Photo, the United Nations Security Council meets at the UN headquarters Monday, Jan 19, 2015 to discuss the maintenance of international peace and security. AP
KINSHASA, DR Congo鈥擳he UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo said Wednesday it will stop providing food from September to nearly 7,000 ex-fighters, sparking fresh fears in the chronically troubled country.
The 20,000-strong MONUSCO, which has an annual budget of $1.4 billion (1.2 billion euros), is strapped for cash, its chief Martin Kobler told AFP.
鈥淭here are nearly 6,800 ex-fighters that MONUSCO is feeding鈥� at a cost of $2 million a month,鈥� the German career diplomat said.
He said the mission 鈥渄oes not have enough money to feed鈥� them.
鈥淲e are in talks with the government to stop the food rations on September 15 for the other camps and September 30 for the one in Kisangani鈥� in the northeast to 鈥渢ransfer鈥� the responsibility to Kinshasa, he said.
The ex-fighters include both Congolese and other nationals.
The move sparked immediate fears in the sprawling and mineral-rich but chronically restive nation which has been wracked by fighting and a long dictatorship after independence from Belgium in 1960.
MONUSCO oversees a disarmament, demobilization, repatriation and reintegration program for foreign rebels.
Now Kinshasa is due to take responsibility for the camps housing former fighters, both Congolese and foreigners, with food and logistical support from MONUSCO.
Taz Greyling, the head of the disarmament and reintegration program, said Kinshasa had released $1.5 million to take over charge and urged international aid for the scheme, estimated to cost $85 million.
A senior Congolese military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, accused the UN mission of taking a 鈥渦nilateral鈥� and 鈥渄angerous鈥� decision.
The announcement comes a day after the Rwandan Hutu militia, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), accused Kinshasa of 鈥渟tarving鈥� nearly 200 of its ex-combattants and 600 others housed in Kisangani with the aim of 鈥渇orcing鈥� them to return to Rwanda.
The latest announcement 鈥渃onfirms the desire of MONUSCO and the DR Congo government to repatriate our former fighters by force to Rwanda, against their will, by starving them to death,鈥� La Forge Fils Bazeye, an FDLR spokesman said, speaking from the bush.
The FDLR has been active in Democratic Republic of Congo鈥攚hich borders both Rwanda and Burundi鈥攕ince crossing over from Rwanda after the 1994 genocide of mainly Tutsi people there.
Opposed to Rwandan President Paul Kagame鈥檚 Tutsi-dominated government, they are accused of carrying out brutal attacks on civilians in eastern DR Congo and of smuggling gold.
RELATED STORY
US opposes third term for Rwandan president Kagame