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| East/Subsaharan Africa | ||
| French Troops, Congo Gunmen Exchange Fire | ||
| 2003-06-14 | ||
| BUNIA, Congo - French troops leading an international force engaged in a firefight with gunmen Saturday for the first time in their mission to stabilize this northeastern Congolese town ravaged by tribal fighting. Somebody forgot to safety their weapon? The special forces returned small arms and light tank fire after they were fired on by gunmen as the French patrolled near Dele, a village about 4 miles south of Bunia, said spokesman Col. Gerard Dubois. The shooting lasted about 20 minutes; there were no French casualties, he said. It was not clear whether the assailants suffered any casualties. Possibly a sprained ankle as the frogs ran away The French patrol of about 70 troops and 20 vehicles, including one light tank fitted with a 90-mm gun, stopped when the firing started, and the soldiers took up positions in the long grass on the side of the muddy road. Bunia is the capital of resource-rich Ituri province, which has been the scene of some of the worst atrocities of Congo's 5-year-old civil war. The troops are part of a French-led international force that began deploying to Bunia on June 6 in an attempt to stem fighting between Lendu and Hema tribal factions that has killed hundreds of people in and around the town. The Hema faction, known as the Union of Congolese Patriots, which controls Bunia, said it was Lendu fighters who fired on the French on Saturday. wuddn't us, nope A few dozen Hema fighters passed the French troops when the firing started. Some cheered as the French opened fire. "We were advancing on our traditional enemy (the Lendu), and the French troops came from behind us and told us to stop and that they would move ahead of us," UPC security chief Saba Rafiki told The Associated Press. "The Lendu attempted to fight the French but fled after a short while when the French began using heavy weapons." It was not possible to contact Lendu militia who are in the rolling green hills that surround Bunia.
So there will actually be 800 in congo, with 600 REMF's The force, which is to deploy for three months, is supposed to reinforce some 750 U.N. troops in Bunia who can only fire in self-defense and have not attempted to stem the violence. time for a 3 month resupply, rearm and redeploy, huh? The international force is authorized to shoot to kill if necessary, but it does not have the mandate to disarm the fighters or demilitarize the town. pathetic
but the French troops are deploying 4 miles south? Manodje Mounoubai, spokesman for the U.N. mission in Congo, said U.N. officials had heard reports that there were "more than one" mass grave in Bunia. But UPC fighters deployed in the area of the suspected graves have prevented U.N. personnel from investigating the graves. The French-led force does not want to engage the UPC until it has increased its strength, Mounoubai said. Congo's civil war erupted in August 1998 when neighboring Rwanda and Uganda sent troops into Congo to support rebels seeking to oust then-Congolese President Laurent Kabila. They accused him of supporting insurgents from their countries whom they said were threatening regional security. Zimbabwe, Angola and Namibia sent troops to back government forces. The foreign troops have withdrawn, but fighting between rival rebel and tribal factions continues in eastern and northern Congo. This will only provide diversity in the rebel's diet. The French taste like chicken | ||
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #6 Ten French Mirage jets connected to the force are based in N'djamena, Chad and Libreville, Gabon. Both of which are over 1,000 km away, well beyond their operational range. |
| Posted by: Phil B 2003-06-14 10:52:24 |
| #5 "Somebody forgot to safety their weapon?" Not to worry, they're firing rubber bullets (they don't want to actually hurt anyone). |
| Posted by: RW 2003-06-14 09:14:10 |
| #4 The French patrol of about 70 troops and 20 vehicles, including one light tank fitted with a 90-mm gun, stopped when the firing started, and the soldiers took up positions in the long grass on the side of the muddy road. Thus demonstrating thet they learned almost nothing in Vietnam. Clear the kill zone if you can, you jerks. Any copetent adversary would have had mines in the long grass to welcome you to Jesus' arms... |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-06-14 15:00:25 |
| #3 Ack, that anon comment was mine. Fred, the name and e-mail fields aren't being remembered in the comments form. Sorry. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2003-06-14 13:48:14 |
| #2 Sad thing is, 800 French troops plus the 700-odd Uruguayan troops, with a mandate to kick ass and with proper support and motivation, could stabilize that city. They could secure it, turn it into a real safe haven for the civilians, and link it to the airport. Then you could actually get some food and medicine into the place. Reminds me of the Clinton fiasco in Haiti -- Clinton was wringing his hands about what he could do. He actually telephoned Colin Powell (at that point a civilian) and asked what possible good 20,000 US troops could do in Haiti. To which (I'm doing this from memory) Powell actually exploded and yelled into the phone, "Mr. President, if you put 20,000 troops into Haiti, you OWN the place!" The UN force now in Bunia could own the place if only the lace-pants crowd could see it. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-06-14 13:47:12 |
| #1 This is such a fiasco that I have to feel sorry for the soldiers. Imagine being in their place! The individual fighters are just trying to stay alive and get home before the EU sacrifices them as pawns in a diplomats board game. Nothing will be gained by their presence or bravery. Personal survival should be their first order of business. This is a lost cause at the highest levels. Why should they waste their lives in vain? |
| Posted by: Becky 2003-06-14 13:34:04 |