Residents flee Katogota after gunfire in South Kivu
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Le Courrier de Bukavu
Residents of Katogota, in the Ruzizi plain in South Kivu, have begun fleeing after gunfire was heard near Mino on the night of 31 October to 1 November. The reinforced presence of the FARDC and the FRN ex-AFC/M23 is fuelling fears of renewed fighting, according to Le Courrier de Bukavu.
Residents of Katogota, in South Kivu, have been fleeing their village since Sunday 1 November after gunfire was heard overnight near Mino, between Luvungi and Katogota. The reinforcement of positions held by the FARDC and the FRN ex-AFC/M23 has fuelled panic, according to local sources cited by Le Courrier de Bukavu.
The gunfire, reported at around 10pm, prompted residents to head towards Kamanyola or Luvungi for fear that fighting would resume. More shots were heard overnight from 1 to 2 November, but their origin has not been established, Le Courrier de Bukavu reports.
In Kamanyola, several families are being accommodated by relatives or host families. The RN5, which links Bukavu to Uvira, remains open to traffic, according to the local media outlet.
Residents had begun to resume their activities after more than a year of displacement and exile. Local sources are calling on the warring parties and the international community to honour ceasefire commitments and protect civilians, although no direct fighting has been reported in Katogota.
