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By Godfrey Olukya 5-11-2012
Congolese refugees at a transit camp in Uganda have rioted over being denied to have sex with their spouses.
They are also demanding for better food and social services.
A worker at the camp, Percy Namanya said, ‘The male refugees went wild. They shouted at us that we we have denied them sex with their spouses and fed them on poor quality food. Armed with spears, sticks and machetes, they attacked us. They set fire on houses sheltering the offices of the camp staff and Red cross.’
She said that the rioting men were proceeding to World Food programme store when police used tear gas to disperse them.
The rioters are part of the 4000 Congolese refugees mostly women and children who have been crossing into Uganda in the last one month. They were temporarily settled at Matanda transit camp.450 kms west of the country’s capital Kampala.
The camp commandant, Noah Bahikayo said that Matanda is a transit camp where they can not allow men and women to sleep together.
He said, ‘We can’t accept men and women to share the temporary tents because there are also children to cater for. The tents were hastily set up by United Nation High Commission for refugees as temporary accommodation and so couples can not be allowed.’
He said that soon the refugees will be transferred to refugee camps where they can construct huts and do whatever they want.
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