Masisi

View of Masisi

Masisi is a town and administrative district (territory) in the Nord-Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is one of the places subject to the conflict between the Congolese army and militias, which has plagued the eastern Congo since the ending of the Second Congo War. Hutu and Tutsi militias originating from the Rwandan genocide and civil war are involved in these episodes of conflict, which also relates to Rwandan border security and the control of eastern Congo's minerals.

Masisi Hospital, run by aid agency Médecins Sans Frontières, treats civilians and fighters from all sides of the conflict.^[1] The town is inaccessible much of the time, due to fighting, despite the presence of the United Nations peacekeeping mission known as MONUC.

Concern Worldwide, an Irish humanitarian organisation, provides emergency assistance to displaced people in camps, displaced people in host families and vulnerable host communities in Masisi territory. In 2009/10 Concern Worldwide's emergency assistance programme will provide non-food items, food security and cash for work assistance to over 10,000 families in Masisi territory. Concern has been working in Masisi since 2004.

Masisi district has an area of 4734 km². The local languages spoken are French, Swahili, Hunde and Kinyarwanda.

References

1. ^ Arnaud Zajtman: "Behind DR Congo's war games." BBC News online, Friday, 19 October 2007

Coordinates: 1°24′S 28°48′E / 1.4°S 28.8°E / -1.4; 28.8