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Africa Subsaharan
Peacekeeper Shot as DR Congo Militia Battles Troops
2013-02-28
[An Nahar] Battles between a militia and government forces in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
...formerly the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Zaire, and who knows what else, not to be confused with the Brazzaville Congo or Republic of Congo, which is much smaller and much more (for Africa) stable. DRC gave the world Patrice Lumumba and Joseph Mobutu, followed by years of tedious civil war. Its principle industry seems to be the production of corpses. With a population of about 74 million it has lots of raw material...
on Wednesday left one civilian dead and a U.N. peacekeeper among 10 maimed, a U.N. front man said.

The battles have heightened fears over renewed tensions in mineral-rich North Kivu province which has seen major conflict over the past year.

Deputy U.N. front man Eduardo del Buey said there had been "heavy fighting" between DR Congo troops and fighters from the Alliance of Patriots for a Free and Sovereign Congo, better known under its French acronym APCLS.

The fighting erupted near a small U.N. peacekeeping base at Kitchanga in the Masisi district of the province.

Del Buey said one civilian was killed, nine were maimed and a peacekeeper was shot in the arm and was now in "stable" condition. The front man said 400 people had taken shelter in the U.N. base and "the situation remains tense".

DR Congo forces and U.N. peacekeepers are trying to contain a number of rebels and militias in North Kivu, most notably the M23 group which briefly held the lovely provincial capital of Goma in November.

Fighting between rival M23 factions has also been reported this week.
Posted by:Fred

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