Snapshots of chaos

International | Missionaries paint a desperate picture of war-torn Zaire | Mindy Belz

Missionaries and humanitarian aid workers who've been at work in eastern Zaire use two words to interpret the situation there for outsiders: "very complex." Their bywords are an understated description of the civil unrest that began in September with a band of Tutsi rebels and now threatens regional implosion.

The fighting began with Tutsi rebels attacking refugee camps along the border where Hutus from Rwanda had formed a base of operations against Tutsis. Adding to Tutsi anger was a policy from the Zairian government to deny citizenship to certain Tutsis, called Banyamelenge, who have lived in the mountains of eastern Zaire for more than a century.

Ethnic fighting now has widened into civil war. Tutsi-led rebel groups challenge the decrepit government of Mobutu Sese Seko, who had been ill and convalescing in Europe until two weeks ago. Last week rebels captured President Mobutu's personal gold-mining region. Containing gold reserves of 100 tons, the region could be an endless source of income for fighting an all-out war. Already the rebels rely on outside support, primarily from Rwanda and Uganda, to stay supplied. Mr. Mobutu may look to outsiders, too; some say he will hire mercenaries from Sudan or elsewhere to compensate for low morale and the poor showing of his own army.