VOA常速英语2007年-Congo's Ethnic Divide Hardens, Amid Chaos

By Noel King
Goma, DRC
20 November 2007

In the wake of a rebellion led by Tutsi General Laurent Nkunda, in eastern Congo's North Kivu province, formerly¹ peaceful communities have ruptured² along ethnic³ lines. Congo's minority Tutsi population is increasingly the target of widespread contempt by other ethnic groups. Noel King has more in this report from Goma, DRC.

 

It is not easy to find an ethnic Tutsi in Mugunga camp, now home to between 25,000 and 30,000 displaced Congolese.

 

But that is not because Congo's Tutsis are remaining at home. They are simply fleeing elsewhere when fighting between General Laurent Nkunda and the Congolese army erupts.

 

Congo's communities are trying to cope with growing ethnic divisions that have deepened since Nkunda took up arms against the Congolese government, late last year.

 

Nkunda says he is trying to protect eastern Congo's Tutsis from Hutu militias⁵, known as the Democratic Force for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), but his claims are widely disputed.

 

Clement⁶ Congo, an elected leader at Mugunga Two Camp, tells VOA ethnicity is a tense subject in North Kivu.

 

He says they do not have Tutsis or Hutus in Muguna. He says they are all internally displaced people. He says Laurent Nkunda keeps talking about protecting Tutsis, but that is not true. He believes the general has a political agenda.

 

Some analysts⁸ agree and point to the cyclical nature of violence against Congolese Tutsis.

 

"It's certainly true that the area Nkunda controls, Tutsi live with the kind of freedom and security that they could not find anywhere else in Congo," said Jason Stearns, an independent political analyst⁷ in the region. "What, unfortunately is also true, is that there is a lot of anti-Tutsi sentiment in eastern Congo."

 

Stearns says the problem is that Nkunda's military campaign has sparked even more anti-Tutsi sentiment.

 

"During his so-called protection of the Tutsi community, he has committed many terrible abuses against other communities that has does nothing but increase hatred⁹ toward the Tutsis," Stearns said. "He is a protector but he is also, to a certain extent, the largest threat."

 

Nkunda says he is trying to avoid a repeat of the Rwandan genocide, in which some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slain¹⁰ by Hutu militias and by ordinary Rwandans.

 

But Nkunda's rebellion is not only affecting Tutsis. And, it may auger¹¹ badly for any attempt at peace in eastern Congo.

 

Last week, Congo formally agreed to pursue and neutralize¹² the Democratic Force for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which includes in its ranks suspected perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide.

 

Rwanda has repeatedly called on neighboring Congo to disarm¹³ the militias and has called Nkunda's rebellion legitimate¹⁴.

 

But observers say the recent violence may only spur some Hutu militia⁴ members to fight harder.

 

Phillip Lancaster is the senior officer with the United Nations Mission in Congo Disarmament and Repatriation¹⁵ Program, which has aided in the demobilization of some 10,000 former Rwandan fighters.

 

He is concerned the violence will prevent militia members from disarming¹⁶ voluntarily.

 

"Whenever there's tension, collective identity hardens," he said. "And, people start to, out of legitimate fear of attack, they start to bind¹⁷ together and look very closely at each other. I think they start to protect their collective identities."

 

Humanitarian¹⁸ agencies say they are beginning programs to urge communities to remain cohesive¹⁹.

 

Louis Vigneault is a spokesman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination²⁰ of Humanitarian Affairs in Goma.

 

"We're trying to set up programs to improve interethnic relationships, whether its community radio, whether it's through education programs," he said. "Most of these people used to live side by side in relative harmony, until a few weeks ago. These divisions, we hope, will only be for a short period of time until the conflict is resolved."

 

But local people say advocacy programs can only go so far.

 

They say that, to avoid an all-out ethnic war, they may have to turn a blind eye to ethnic differences.

1 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

2 ruptured   

v.（使）破裂( rupture的过去式和过去分词 )；（使体内组织等）断裂；使（友好关系）破裂；使绝交

参考例句：

• They reported that the pipeline had ruptured. 他们报告说管道已经破裂了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The wall through Berlin was finally ruptured, prefiguring the reunification of Germany. 柏林墙终于倒塌了，预示着德国的重新统一。 来自辞典例句

3 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

4 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

5 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

6 clement   

adj.仁慈的；温和的

参考例句：

• A clement judge reduced his sentence.一位仁慈的法官为他减了刑。
• The planet's history contains many less stable and clement eras than the holocene.地球的历史包含着许多不如全新世稳定与温和的地质时期。

7 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

8 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

9 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

10 slain   

杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词)

参考例句：

• The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。
• His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。

11 auger   

n.螺丝钻，钻孔机

参考例句：

• We make a hole in the ice with an auger.我们用螺旋钻在冰上钻洞。
• Already the Snowblast's huge auger blades were engorging snow.扬雪车上庞大的钻头叶片在开始大量吞进积雪。

12 neutralize   

v.使失效、抵消，使中和

参考例句：

• Nothing could neutralize its good effects.没有什么能抵消它所产生的好影响。
• Acids neutralize alkalis and vice versa.酸能使碱中和碱，亦能使酸中和。

13 disarm   

v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和

参考例句：

• The world has waited 12 years for Iraq to disarm. 全世界等待伊拉克解除武装已有12年之久。
• He has rejected every peaceful opportunity offered to him to disarm.他已经拒绝了所有能和平缴械的机会。

14 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

15 repatriation   

n.遣送回国，归国

参考例句：

• The Volrep programme is the preferred means of repatriation. 政府认为自愿遣返计划的遣返方法较为可取。 来自互联网
• Arrange the cargo claiming and maritime affairs,crews repatriation,medical treatment,traveling so on. （六）洽办货物理赔，船舶海事处理，办理船员遣返，就医，旅游等。 来自互联网

16 disarming   

adj.消除敌意的，使人消气的v.裁军( disarm的现在分词 )；使息怒

参考例句：

• He flashed her a disarming smile. 他朝她笑了一下，让她消消气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We will agree to disarming troops and leaving their weapons at military positions. 我们将同意解除军队的武装并把武器留在军事阵地。 来自辞典例句

17 bind   

vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬

参考例句：

• I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
• He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。

18 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

19 cohesive   

adj.有粘着力的；有结合力的；凝聚性的

参考例句：

• She sealed the parcel with cohesive tape.她用粘胶带把包裹封起来。
• The author skillfully fuses these fragments into a cohesive whole.作者将这些片断巧妙地结合成一个连贯的整体。

20 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。