Uganda cholera linked to migrants

Locals blame refugees for the outbreak

More than 40 people have died in a cholera outbreak in western Uganda which has been exacerbated by the influx of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, say officials.

"We have recorded 601 cases of cholera, with 44 deaths, in the district between January 5 and April 20," Bundibugyo Resident District Commissioner Erasto Gubaare told AFP news agency.

Uganda's New Vision newspaper reports that heavy rains have made transporting emergency medical supplies to the area virtually impossible.

The outbreak is thought also to be linked to the arrival of thousands of refugees who are fleeing recent tribal killings in the DRC's north-eastern Ituri region.

Further heavy fighting is reported to have broken out in Bunia, Ituri, between Hema and Lendu militias on Saturday.

Tribal tensions

The fighting quickly spread, engulfing an United Nations compound.

Ugandan soldiers in armoured vehicles chased the fighters away.

In Uganda, health workers are enforcing sanitation laws to contain the spread of the disease.

"We enforce sanitation laws by making sure each home has sanitation facilities," Mr Gubaare added.

There is tension between the Congolese and Ugandans in Bundibugyo over grazing rights.

"International agencies should come to the rescue of these people," the health official added.