Doctors Without Borders close two of its hospitals in DRC

The international medical charity, Doctors Without Borders, has announced the closure of two of its hospitals in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the growing insecurity in the region.

The organisation’s Programme Manager Olivier Maizoue says they have been left with no choice but to close their medical facilities in Ituri province after failing to get assurances of the safety of their patients and staff.

The suspension of operations will affect two hospitals run by Doctors Without Borders in the towns of Nizi and Bambu in north-eastern DRC. The population in Ituri province has been affected by conflict for decades.

Militia groups from rival communities have been fighting over land, political power and the control of mineral resources. The closure of the hospitals comes four months after unidentified armed men attacked a convoy of vehicles belonging to Doctors Without Borders in the territory of Djugu.

“Both hospitals of Nizi and Bambu were roughly serving a population of 470 000 people, including of course kids that will lose a large part of these medical services. The medical charity has been providing aid to civilians and people wounded in the conflict for years.

But they have now suspended operations until the situation improves. The DRC’s north-eastern province of Ituri is rich in gold. But it has been plagued by intercommunal violence for many years.

In June last year, militia fighters attacked the main referral hospital in Boga town and killed 12 people. The DRC government imposed martial law in the area last May to try and end the killing of civilians. But the massacres have continued.

On Saturday, at least 14 people including seven children were killed with machetes by fighters of a notorious armed group called CODECO. Authorities at Doctors Without Borders say they are deeply concerned by the level of impunity in Ituri province.