DATE=3/16/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-246708
TITLE=CONGO FIGHTING (L ONLY)
BYLINE=TODD PITMAN
DATELINE=KIGALI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: REBELS IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO SAY THEY'VE
INFLICTED HEAVY CASUALTIES ON GOVERNMENT TROOPS AND THEIR ALLIES
THIS WEEK IN BATTLES IN THE SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY. TODD PITMAN
REPORTS THE REBELS SAY THEY KILLED AT LEAST 210 SOLDIERS WHO ARE
SUPPORTING CONGO PRESIDENT LAURENT KABILA.
TEXT: REBEL COMMANDER BOB NGOY SAYS HIS TROOPS AMBUSHED A HUGE
COLUMN OF CONGO GOVERNMENT AND ALLIED SOLDIERS ON MONDAY, 32
KILOMETERS NORTHEAST OF THE SOUTHERN TOWN OF KABINDA. REBEL
OFFICIALS SAY 130 CONGOLESE SOLDIERS AND 80 ZIMBABWEAN TROOPS
BACKING PRESIDENT KABILA WERE KILLED DURING THE AMBUSH AND
PURSUIT OPERATIONS THAT FOLLOWED.
COMMANDER NGOY SAYS REBELS CAPTURED FOUR ZIMBABWEAN SOLDIERS AS
WELL AS FOUR TANKS AND A HUGE SUPPLY OF SMALL ARMS AND
SUB-MACHINE GUNS.
COMMANDER NGOY SAYS ONLY 11 OF HIS TROOPS WERE KILLED AND SIX
WOUNDED IN THE FIGHTING.
THERE WAS NO INDEPENDENT CONFIRMATION OF THE REBEL REPORT. BUT
ZIMBABWE HAS DENIED THE REBEL STATEMENTS AS LIES AND PROPAGANDA.
FIGHTING IN CONGO-KINSHASA HAS PICKED UP RECENTLY AFTER A LULL OF
SEVERAL MONTHS, WITH REBELS FROM THE CONGOLESE RALLY FOR
DEMOCRACY TARGETING THE DIAMOND-RICH CITY OF MBUJI-MAYI AND
CONGO'S SECOND CITY, LUBUMBASHI, FARTHER SOUTH.
IN THE NORTH, ANOTHER ANTI-KABILA REBEL FACTION LED BY
JEAN-PIERRE BEMBA AND BACKED BY UGANDA IS PUSHING TOWARD THE
CONGO RIVER PORT OF MBANDAKA.
RWANDA AND UGANDA ARE BOTH BACKING THE REBELS IN THEIR STRUGGLE
TO OUST PRESIDENT KABILA, WHO DRAWS MOST OF HIS FOREIGN SUPPORT
FROM ZIMBABWE, NAMIBIA, AND CHAD.
UGANDAN PRESIDENT YOWERI MUSEVENI ARRIVED IN THE RWANDAN CAPITAL,
KIGALI, ON TUESDAY FOR TALKS ABOUT THE WAR IN CONGO-KINSHASA,
WHICH BEGAN LAST AUGUST. (SIGNED)
NEB/TP/JWH
16-Mar-99 1:10 PM EST (1810 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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