Hundreds of Zairians rioted against Rwandan refugees Friday, looting food intended for the refugees and menacing foreign aid workers with sticks and stones.
The United Nations suspended efforts to help the 100,000 refugees until calm is restored."We want guarantees about the safety of our staff," said Pam O'Toole of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees' office in Geneva.
The rioting was sparked by a rumor that some of the refugees had killed seven Zairians. But the Zairians, who resent the international help the refugees have been getting when they themselves are desperately poor, also demanded aid.
A mob wielding sticks and stones stopped three vehicles carrying two Danish and four local aid workers and refused to let them go for about 90 minutes, the U.N. refugee agency said. No injuries were reported.
The mob also blocked routes to refugee camps south of the city and demonstrated in front of the mayor's office in the village of Lu-bunga.
The mayor, Augustin-Roger Yessya, tried to calm the crowd, shouting that the rumors were false and that there were no deaths. The U.N. refugee agency said an investigation into the rumors was under way.
The United Nations is organizing the return of refugees to the border town of Goma and then on to Rwanda. It had hoped to start the repatriation with an airlift of 80 children today.
But the start of the airlift had to be delayed until Sunday after Zairian rebels who control the area expressed concern that refugees infected with cholera could spread the disease to Kisangani.