UN mission in DR Congo says dozens of Rwandan rebels, refugees want to return

KINSHASA, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Approximately 80 former Rwandan rebels and refugees have visited the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo ( MONUC), demanding repatriation to their country of origin, the mission reported on Sunday.

Members of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which is linked to the 1994 Rwanda massacre, and their dependants visited the MONUC offices in Ntoto district, more than 100 km from Goma, the provincial capital of the eastern North Kivuprovince.

"The combatants hold various positions in FDLR in this region. As for the refugees, they are coming from the bush. All of them are camping here and awaiting repatriation," MONUC said in the capital Kinshasa after return from Goma on Saturday evening.

According to the MONUC civil protection team, the majority of the refugees are women, children and old people.

The mission also said some of the refugees are still worried about their safety after return, insisting on a guarantee by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Editor: Wang Guanqun