| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa Subsaharan |
| Four DR Congo Soldiers Killed in Militia Attack |
| 2014-01-15 |
| [An Nahar] Four soldiers were killed during an attack on a village in the 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 aka 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... , the U.N. peacekeeping mission in the country said Tuesday. The Mai Mai Sheka, one of dozens of gangs operating in the strife-torn eastern DR Congo, attacked the village of Pinga in North Kivu province in Monday night, according to the U.N. mission known as MONUSCO. Government troops "retaliated and chased the gang from the village after a 30-minute shootout," read a statement. "According to the latest MONUSCO figures, four government soldiers were killed and three civilians injured during the confrontation." Army front man Olivier Hamuli confirmed the toll and told Agence La Belle France Presse that two of the attackers had been killed and two soldiers were maimed. UN peacekeepers retook the village of Pinga, 90 kilometers (55 miles) from lovely provincial capital Goma, from the Mai Mai Sheka in November before handing control over to government troops. In December MONUSCO's intervention force, whose mission is to neutralize all the gangs active in the troubled country, boosted its presence in the zone with the aim of taking back land seized by various militia. Government troops struck a rare and striking military success when, backed by the U.N. brigade, they defeated the powerful M23 rebel group in November. "This latest incident proves that there cannot be any cohabitation nor negotiations with gangs. MONUSCO will use all its might to consolidate the recent military gains," said mission chief Martin Kobler. Meanwhile the election commission announced that nationwide local elections will be held by the end of the year. "Get ready for city and local elections," the head of the election commission, Father Apollinaire Malu-Malu, said over U.N. radio. |
| Posted by:Fred |