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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

DRC: Fighting erupts between RCD-K/ML and Mayi-Mayi in Butembo

KINSHASA, 4 July 2003 (IRIN) - Fighting erupted on Thursday in Butembo, northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), between a Mayi-Mayi militia and the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie-Kisangani/Mouvement de liberation (RCD-K/ML), a rebel group allied to Kinshasa.

"Fighting with heavy weaponry broke out yesterday and restarted early this morning," Rubain Lukambaka, a reporter for Radio Graben Butembo, told IRIN on Friday from the embattled town.

RCD-K/ML authorities said that it was simply a matter of certain elements resisting a disarmament operation being conducted, and that the town remained fully under their control.

Other reports said, however, that the Mayi-Mayi militia had taken control of Butembo.

"Well armed and naked Mayi-Mayi fighters are roaming around town," Lukambaka said.

The UN Mission in the DRC, known as MONUC, confirmed the fighting but said it did not have precise information about the situation.

"We do not yet have information on who the belligerents are, so we cannot say who is fighting," Hamadoun Toure, the MONUC spokesman, said in Kinshasa, capital of the DRC.

Speaking over local radio, RCD-K/ML operations commander Sivi Tshomwa called on all armed elements to lay down their weapons "because a military agreement had just been signed among [Congolese] belligerents for a unified national army".

Rebels and the Kinshasa government of the DRC agreed on Sunday to share posts in a new unified military, thereby ending a deadlock in the formation of a two-year national transitional government. Under the agreement, RCD-K-/ML was given the post of deputy chief of intelligence.

"This is a simple police operation aiming to maintain order that we are conducting," Lambert Mende Olmalanga, the RCD-K/ML spokesman said.

He added that RCD-K/ML was combing the town to disarm uncontrolled armed elements and had already collected "a great many weapons", among them AK-47 assault rifles and rocket launchers.

He accused the armed elements of being Mayi-Mayi.

Town residents have remained indoors, and the local Red Cross reported that it was unable to access the streets to treat the wounded and collect corpses and, therefore, had no figures regarding casualties.

Theme(s): (IRIN) Conflict

[ENDS]

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