At least 35,000 people have been forced to flee recent fighting between government forces and Rwanda Hutu rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN refugee agency said Friday.
"These people have reportedly fled in the wake of the latest government military campaign code-named Kimia II, which began on 12 July in the Uvira territory of South Kivu," said Ron Redmond, spokesman for the UNHCR.
The government launched the campaign in a bid to force the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and their local militia allies to disarm.