Congolese flee to Uganda in anticipation of election violence
Thousands of Congolese have started fleeing the country to neighboring Uganda in anticipation of violence following the tense Sunday polls.
A number of people from Congo have since this week started been thronging to the Ugandan border at Busanza in Kisoro and at the Mpondwe-Lhubiriha border.
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“As early as 6 am on Monday, the border points were busy with long queues of Congolese,” said Uganda Red Cross spokesperson Irene Nakasiita.
Following the burning of the Ebola screening centre in the DRC, all people entering Uganda are now being screened for Ebola at the border before being allowed to access the country.
Nakasiita said that Uganda police is deployed at the border to enforce the screening exercise since a number of those fleeing from DRC didn’t want to be subjected to the exercise.
“There is no other option for those fleeing Congo. You either accept to be screened or you are not allowed into Uganda.”
The Uganda Red Cross spokesperson however said she was not in position to tell the exact figure that has entered Uganda because many have been using unofficial entry points to the country.
On Sunday, Democratic Republic of Congo went to polls to elect the successor to outgoing President, Joseph Kabila who has been in power for 18 years since the assassination of his father and then president Laurent Desire Kabila.
The main contest is between Felix Tshisekedi and another main opposition candidate Martin Fayulu neck battling with ruling coalition candidate Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary who is also backed by Kabila.
If the polls turn out successful, they could lead to the vast central African country’s first ever democratic transition.
