Doruma

Doruma
Town

The church in Doruma, home to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Doruma–Dungu.
Doruma

Location in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Coordinates: 4°44′N 27°42′E / 4.733°N 27.700°E / 4.733; 27.700
Country Democratic Republic of the Congo
Province Orientale
District Haut-Uele District
Population (2005)
  Total 18,000 (inhabitants & IDPs)
Climate Aw
National language Lingala

Doruma is a city in the northeastern regions of the Haut-Uele District, Orientale Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

It is near the border with South Sudan.

History

The people of Dungu and Doruma in recent times have fallen victims to Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) killing of civilians, house burning and rape.

For many years, in the Haut Uélé District of DR Congo, the LRA rebel group has plundered villages. Since December 2008, the Ugandan Army has supported the Congolese Army in eradicating such rebel groups. Following a strong military action from the army, rebels dispersed in the region yet continued to plunder villages in smaller numbers. This, in turn, has caused panic and sparked residents to seek refuge in the bush, a phenomenon exemplified in towns like Dungu and Doruma, or even farther south.

Zande tribe refugee camp under construction outside Doruma, 2009.

Since the end of December 2008, the LRA has come closer to Doruma, and its strategy shifted from the plunder of villages to kidnapping 11- to 17-year-old children to enlist as child-soldiers, to the mere massacre of local populations. 189 dead and 111 missing people have been reported before 24 December 2008, along with reports of tortured children and fires in the bush and fields, preventing the population from running away.

In such a context, the town of Doruma, protected by the Congolese and Ugandan armies, and normally hosting around 6,000 inhabitants, came to host in one month more than 17,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from neighbouring locations, arriving deprived from any personal belonging.

Transportation

The town is served by Doruma Airport.[1]

Healthcare

As of March 2012 there was a hospital located in Doruma.[2]

References

Coordinates: 4°44′N 27°42′E / 4.733°N 27.700°E / 4.733; 27.700


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