VOA标准英语2009年-UNHCR: Congolese Fleeing South Kivu Province

The United Nations refugee agency says thousands of people reportedly are fleeing their homes in Democratic Republic of Congo's South Kivu province. This follows last week's start of a joint¹ Congolese-Rwandan military operation against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda militia² group in North Kivu.
　
A woman carries some of her belongings³ on the main road crossing the North Kivu town of Kayna, Democratic Republic of Congo, 19 Nov 2008

The U.N. refugee agency calls these latest reports alarming as it indicates the violence, which has been rampant⁴ in North Kivu, now is spreading to the relatively⁵ stable South.

UNHCR spokesman, Ron Redmond, says the Mai Mai militia, which is based in South Kivu, opposes the joint military operation in North Kivu. As a consequence, he tells VOA, the Mai Mai have blocked a main road.

"And this has actually cut off a main artery," said Redmond. "In fact it is the only main road in this area and some 5,000 displaced people who live right in that immediate⁶ vicinity have fled their homes and many of them are moving toward Uvira, which is one of the main regional centers in South Kivu. So, it is a concern that it is now spreading from North Kivu into South Kivu."

The UNHCR has a big office in Uvira and is present in Bukavu, which is the capital of South Kivu. In recent years, the agency has been receiving and helping⁷ Congolese refugees returning from years of exile in Tanzania.

Redmond says the threat of this new conflict in South Kivu also may impede⁸ these returns.

"That operation continues as well," he said. "But, we fear that if this standoff between the Mai Mai and the Congolese continues that it could also disrupt the returns to the Makobola area, which is a major destination for refugees coming back from Tanzania."

Redmond says the UNHCR hopes stability will return to South Kivu. But, he warns the situation is very fragile.

He notes there are about 20 different armed groups in the region and many of them form different alliances. In this case, he says the Mai Mai are opposed to the Rwandan army and do not want its intrusion into the country.

He says this accounts for the standoff with the Congolese army and for the increasing vulnerability of the civilian⁹ population. He says fears are growing of further displacement¹⁰.

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 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。

3 belongings   

n.私人物品，私人财物

参考例句：

• I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
• Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。

4 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

5 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

6 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 impede   

v.妨碍，阻碍，阻止

参考例句：

• One shouldn't impede other's progress.一个人不应该妨碍他人进步。
• The muddy roads impede our journey.我们的旅游被泥泞的道路阻挠了。

9 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

10 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。