At least 7,900 South Sudanese refugees flee to DR Congo

At least 7,900 South Sudanese refugees have in the last two weeks fled to Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), local authorities said Wednesday.

The authorities said the South Sudanese refugees, who had fled recent fighting in their country, sought shelter in Aru territory within Ituri province, eastern DR Congo.

The source added that the refugees were mostly comprised of children, women and the elderly persons coming from Juba, Morobu and Yei territories in South Sudan.

The local authorities have expressed concern over the massive influx of the refugees, arguing that this may lead to infiltration of armed people into the Congolese territory.

They have appealed for deployment of more soldiers along the border between South Sudan and DR Congo to control entry of refugees and protect the national territory.

Since the outbreak of recent fighting in South Sudan, humanitarian organizations have reported massive arrival of refugees in DR Congo under difficult conditions. Enditem