Dungu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Encyclopedia
Dungu (ˈduŋɡuː ) is a town in Haut-Uele District
located at the confluence of the Dungu
and Kibali Rivers where they join to form the Uele River
, south of the Garamba National Park
. Dungu's terrain is wooded savannah, and its climate is tropical.
It is the principal town in Dungu Territory
. It has a hospital, nursing school, high school, Internet cafe, and a cathedral—as it is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Doruma–Dungu. The town is divided into four main neighbourhoods: Uye (south), Mussa (south center), Ngilima (center) and Bamokandi (north).
There is an airport (ICAO code FZJC) in Dungu-Uye with an unpaved runway.
In 2004 its population was estimated at over 23,000.
The major tribe is the Azande
, and the national language used locally is Lingala. Some people speak a dialect of Lingala called Bangala
, which contains many words from Zande
, Swahili
, and other languages.
ese refugees from the Second Sudanese Civil War
have settled north of Dungu in two refugee camps, Kaka I and Kaka II, set up by Oxfam
Quebec, an implementing partner of UNHCR in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In September 2005 Joseph Kony's
Lord's Resistance Army
(LRA) entered Dungu Territory from Sudan and set up in Garamba National Park. Since October 2008, following attacks by the LRA, Médecins Sans Frontières
has had a team in Dungu to help with the wounded and the health needs of the displaced, soon followed by other international relief NGOs such as Solidarités, Oxfam
Quebec, Cesvi
, Coopi, Danish Refugee Council and Medair
. In December 2008 the LRA attacked the town of Dungu, resulting in all inhabitants temporarily fleeing.
According to an August 2009 report of Radio Okapi
, 100,000 people in Dungu Territory have been displaced by the fighting.
Although Medair, Terre Sans Frontières, MSF Suisse and Solidarités were present prior to the beginning of the LRA crisis in mid-September 2008, many non-governmental organizations set up bases and projects in various fields in January 2009. These NGOs are from Switzerland (Medair
), Denmark (DRC – Danish Refugee Council), Italy (Cooperazione Internazionale or COOPI and Cesvi
), Canada (Oxfam
Quebec, Terre Sans Frontières), the United States (Mercy Corps
) and the United Kingdom (Oxfam
Great Britain); the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC), an international sovereign organisation, is also present. Local and national NGOs, such as Caritas DRC (known locally as Caritas Développement Congo) ADSSE and CDJP, are also active in Dungu.
The United Nations has a good presence in Dungu, with most of the agencies and MONUC firmly established in the town since March 2009. Two peacekeeping battalions (Moroccan and Indonesian) ensure security as well as road maintenance, while agencies such as OCHA
, UNHCR, UNICEF, FAO
, WFP and UNDP (through the Pooled Fund program) act as donors and coordinators of the humanitarian response.
Haut-Uele District
Haut-Uele District is a district located in Orientale Province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo....
located at the confluence of the Dungu
Dungu River, Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Dungu River is a river that flows through the Haut-Uele District in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.It passes through the town of Faradje, and joins the Kibali River at Dungu to form the Uele River....
and Kibali Rivers where they join to form the Uele River
Uele River
The Uele River, also spelled Welle River, is a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It originates in the mountains near Lake Albert and flows west for about to join the Mbomou River at Yakoma....
, south of the Garamba National Park
Garamba National Park
Garamba National Park, located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa, was established in 1938. One of Africa's oldest National parks, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. Garamba is the home to the world's last known wild population of Northern White Rhinoceros...
. Dungu's terrain is wooded savannah, and its climate is tropical.
It is the principal town in Dungu Territory
Dungu Territory
Dungu is a territory in the Haut-Uele District of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The administrative center is the town of Dungu, which lies on both sides of the Uele River.The territory is divided into the Ndolomo, Malingindu and Wando chiefdoms....
. It has a hospital, nursing school, high school, Internet cafe, and a cathedral—as it is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Doruma–Dungu. The town is divided into four main neighbourhoods: Uye (south), Mussa (south center), Ngilima (center) and Bamokandi (north).
There is an airport (ICAO code FZJC) in Dungu-Uye with an unpaved runway.
In 2004 its population was estimated at over 23,000.
The major tribe is the Azande
Azande
The Azande are a tribe of north Central Africa. Their number is estimated by various sources at between 1 and 4 million....
, and the national language used locally is Lingala. Some people speak a dialect of Lingala called Bangala
Bangala language
Bangala, or Ngala, is a Bantu language spoken in the northeast part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in South Sudan, and the extreme western part of Uganda. A divergent form of Lingala, it's used as a lingua franca by people with different languages and rarely as a first language. The...
, which contains many words from Zande
Zande
Zande may refer to:* A variant spelling of Azande, a people of north central Africa* Zande language, the language of the Azande people* Zande, Belgium* Xande, Zande in the NES fan translation, a major antagonist of Final Fantasy III...
, Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
, and other languages.
Colonial History
In 1942, the Belgian territorial administrator Schollaert was given the task of building a bridge across the Dungu River. Instead of building a two-lane bridge as ordered, he built a one-lane bridge. With the remaining bricks he built a medieval style castle with 40 rooms between the Dungu and Kibali rivers.Recent History and Current Situation
Since the early 1990s, SudanSudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
ese refugees from the Second Sudanese Civil War
Second Sudanese Civil War
The Second Sudanese Civil War started in 1983, although it was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originated in southern Sudan, the civil war spread to the Nuba mountains and Blue Nile by the end of the 1980s....
have settled north of Dungu in two refugee camps, Kaka I and Kaka II, set up by Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
Quebec, an implementing partner of UNHCR in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In September 2005 Joseph Kony's
Joseph Kony
Joseph Kony is an African terrorist who is the head of the Lord's Resistance Army , a guerrilla group that is engaged in a violent campaign to establish theocratic government based on the Ten Commandments in Uganda...
Lord's Resistance Army
Lord's Resistance Army
The Lord's Resistance Army insurgency is an ongoing guerrilla campaign waged since 1987 by the Lord's Resistance Army rebel group, operating mainly in northern Uganda, but also in South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo...
(LRA) entered Dungu Territory from Sudan and set up in Garamba National Park. Since October 2008, following attacks by the LRA, Médecins Sans Frontières
Médecins Sans Frontières
' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
has had a team in Dungu to help with the wounded and the health needs of the displaced, soon followed by other international relief NGOs such as Solidarités, Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
Quebec, Cesvi
Cesvi
Cesvi - one of the biggest humanitarian organizations in Italy. Founded in 1985 and has about 30 offices all over the world....
, Coopi, Danish Refugee Council and Medair
Medair
Medair is an international non-governmental organization NGO of humanitarian aid with a stated mission, "to seek out and serve the most vulnerable people affected by crises." Medair’s core competencies are emergency relief and rehabilitation...
. In December 2008 the LRA attacked the town of Dungu, resulting in all inhabitants temporarily fleeing.
According to an August 2009 report of Radio Okapi
Radio Okapi
Radio Okapi is a radio network that operates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On an annual budget of US$4.5 million, a staff of 200 provide news and information to the entire urban population of the DRC.-History:...
, 100,000 people in Dungu Territory have been displaced by the fighting.
Humanitarian Response to the LRA Crisis
The LRA crisis has had an impact on the whole of Haut-Uele District, and Dungu is used as the main base of operations for most, if not all, international and local humanitarian organizations, including MONUC and the UN agencies.Although Medair, Terre Sans Frontières, MSF Suisse and Solidarités were present prior to the beginning of the LRA crisis in mid-September 2008, many non-governmental organizations set up bases and projects in various fields in January 2009. These NGOs are from Switzerland (Medair
Medair
Medair is an international non-governmental organization NGO of humanitarian aid with a stated mission, "to seek out and serve the most vulnerable people affected by crises." Medair’s core competencies are emergency relief and rehabilitation...
), Denmark (DRC – Danish Refugee Council), Italy (Cooperazione Internazionale or COOPI and Cesvi
Cesvi
Cesvi - one of the biggest humanitarian organizations in Italy. Founded in 1985 and has about 30 offices all over the world....
), Canada (Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
Quebec, Terre Sans Frontières), the United States (Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a global aid agency engaged in transitional environments that have experienced some sort of shock: natural disaster, economic collapse, or conflict. People working for it move as quickly as possible from bringing in food and supplies to enabling people to rebuild their economy with...
) and the United Kingdom (Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
Great Britain); the International Committee of the Red Cross
International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and...
(ICRC), an international sovereign organisation, is also present. Local and national NGOs, such as Caritas DRC (known locally as Caritas Développement Congo) ADSSE and CDJP, are also active in Dungu.
The United Nations has a good presence in Dungu, with most of the agencies and MONUC firmly established in the town since March 2009. Two peacekeeping battalions (Moroccan and Indonesian) ensure security as well as road maintenance, while agencies such as OCHA
Ocha
Ocha is a genus of moth in the family Lasiocampidae....
, UNHCR, UNICEF, FAO
Fão
Fão is a town in Esposende Municipality in Portugal....
, WFP and UNDP (through the Pooled Fund program) act as donors and coordinators of the humanitarian response.