Meheba (Zambia) : a Burundian refugee attacked

He is part of a group of Meheba market sentries who were attacked by as yet unidentified bandits. He and his colleagues are agonising at the regional referral hospital.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The market targeted by bandits armed with bladed weapons is located in the “Meheba D” zone on Route 36. As yet unidentified people attacked sentries of this trading center on the night of Monday to Tuesday.

“One of these bandits was first immobilized by these market watchmen. Then, he defended himself and managed to escape. After a few minutes, he came back with a group of other bandits armed with clubs, machetes and rebars,” say sentries.

“These criminals then attacked these sentries, beat them up and seriously injured them… The police intervened late,” according to several testimonies.

At least five watchmen including a Burundian refugee (Jean de Dieu) are agonising on the bed of the “Lumwana Hospital” referral health facility in the Manyama sector, Mwinilunga district.

This is after an urgent transfer from the “Bloc D Clinic” located in the Meheba camp, which could not treat these “cases of acute injuries,” according to a local leader of the said camp.

Refugees are demanding thorough investigations by the police to arrest and punish the perpetrators of this aggression. The police have agreed that they will do so and are asking for the collaboration of refugees and local leaders to eradicate this type of armed banditry.

Meheba camp has more than 27,000 refugees, including 3,000 from Burundi.

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Refugees composed of mostly women and their children in front of a health facility in Meheba (SOS Médias Burundi)