DATE=7/20/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-251966
TITLE=CONGO FIGHTING (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=JOHN PITMAN
DATELINE=ABIDJAN
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: IN CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE, GOVERNMENT TROOPS HAVE REPORTEDLY
RECAPTURED A KEY TOWN AND RAILROAD STATION SOUTHWEST OF THE
CAPITAL. AS CORRESPONDENT JOHN PITMAN REPORTS FROM OUR WEST
AFRICA BUREAU, THE TOWN HAD BEEN HELD BY REBEL MILITIAMEN LOYAL
TO THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER.
TEXT: MILITARY OFFICIALS IN BRAZZAVILLE SAY GOVERNMENT TROOPS
HAVE RECAPTURED THE TOWN OF MINDOULI, ABOUT 100-KILOMETERS
SOUTHWEST OF THE CAPITAL. THE NEWS CAME A DAY AFTER GOVERNMENT
TROOPS ENTERED THE TOWN.
DETAILS ABOUT THE BATTLE FOR THE CITY ALSO REMAIN UNCLEAR, AND
LOCAL JOURNALISTS HAVE NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO VISIT THE SCENE OF
THE FIGHTING.
SOME REPORTS, QUOTING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, SPEAK OF HEAVY
FIGHTING SUNDAY -- INCLUDING BOMBING RAIDS BY A GOVERNMENT
HELICOPTER GUNSHIP. BUT OTHER REPORTS SAY GOVERNMENT TROOPS,
BACKED BY ANGOLAN SOLDIERS, MET LITTLE RESISTANCE WHEN THEY
ENTERED THE TOWN AND CAPTURED THE TRAIN STATION MONDAY. THE TOWN
OF MINDULI LIES ON THE RAILROAD LINE WHICH LINKS BRAZZAVILLE WITH
THE COUNTRY'S MAIN ECONOMIC CENTER AND PORT, POINTE-NOIRE.
BUT SINCE AUGUST OF 1998, WHEN MILITIAMEN LOYAL TO THE FORMER
GOVERNMENT LAUNCHED A GUERRILLA WAR AGAINST PRESIDENT DENIS
SASSOU N'GUESSO, THE LINE HAS BEEN CUT A NUMBER OF TIMES, AND
SEVERAL TRAINS HAVE BEEN AMBUSHED.
/// OPT /// THESE DISRUPTIONS OF THE RAIL LINE HAVE FORCED
BRAZZAVILLE TO IMPORT MOST OF ITS FOOD BY AIR FROM POINTE-NOIRE
OR BY BOAT FROM ACROSS THE CONGO RIVER IN KINSHASA. EARLIER THIS
YEAR, THE UNITED NATIONS SAID NEARLY 50-THOUSAND PEOPLE WERE AT
RISK OF MALNUTRITION IN BRAZZAVILLE, AND STEPPED UP AN EMERGENCY
AIRLIFT OF FOOD AND SUPPLIES. /// END OPT ///
THE AREA SOUTHWEST OF BRAZZAVILLE HAS BEEN A WAR ZONE SINCE
DECEMBER, WHEN MEMBERS OF THE "NINJA MILITIA", LOYAL TO FORMER
PRIME MINISTER BERNARD KOLELAS, LAUNCHED A SERIES OF ATTACKS ON
THE CAPITAL AND OTHER TOWNS, LIKE MINDOULI.
THE REBELS HAVE ALSO TAKEN HOSTAGES, INCLUDING FOREIGNERS, AND
ARE BLAMED IN THE MURDERS OF SEVERAL PRIESTS WHO HAD TRIED TO
MEDIATE A TRUCE.
HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS SAY VIOLENCE IN THE "POOL" REGION SOUTHWEST
OF BRAZZAVILLE HAS CLAIMED BETWEEN FIVE AND SIX-THOUSAND LIVES
THIS YEAR. HUMANITARIAN GROUPS SAY CIVILIANS IN THE AREA ARE
LIVING IN WHAT THEY CALL -- HORRIBLE CONDITIONS.
/// REST OPT ///
AT LEAST 10-THOUSAND CONGOLESE DIED IN THE COUNTRY'S BLOODY
FIVE-MONTH CIVIL WAR, WHICH ENDED IN OCTOBER 1997. THAT WAR
RETURNED MR. SASSOU N'GUESSO, A FORMER PRESIDENT, TO POWER, AND
FORCED THE COUNTRY'S ELECTED PRESIDENT, PASCAL LISSOUBA, TO SEEK
ASYLUM ABROAD.
SINCE THEN, MR. SASSOU N'GUESSO'S GOVERNMENT HAS CHARGED THE
FORMER PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER WITH WAR CRIMES, INCLUDING
GENOCIDE, AND HAVE LABELED REBEL MILITIAS -- BANDITS.
MR. LISSOUBA HAS DENIED THE GENOCIDE CHARGE AND HAS SOUGHT TO
RETAIN HIS TITLE AS CONGO'S PRESIDENT.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS RECENTLY CLAIMED A SERIES OF VICTORIES AGAINST
THE NINJA MILITIA SOUTHWEST OF BRAZZAVILLE. OFFICIALS SAY
RECAPTURING MINDOULI HAS DEALT A SERIOUS BLOW TO THE SECRETIVE
MILITIA. ONE OFFICIAL HAS BEEN QUOTED AS SAYING THE ARMY WILL
TURN ITS ATTENTION TO AN AREA NORTH OF BRAZZAVILLE, WHERE
MILITIAMEN LOYAL TO THE FORMER PRESIDENT ARE STILL ACTIVE.
THE GOVERNMENT SAYS THE RECAPTURE OF MINDOULI WILL ALSO HELP
SPEED ITS WORK TO REOPEN THE RAILROAD BETWEEN BRAZZAVILLE AND
POINTE-NOIRE. (SIGNED)
NEB/JP/PCF/RAE
20-Jul-99 12:14 PM EDT (1614 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
