UN peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo have rescued several foreign ambassadors trapped in a house in Kinshasa by heavy shooting. The diplomats were meeting opposition leader Jean-Pierre Bemba in his house when a gunfight broke out. The group included the UK envoy and the head of the UN mission, the UN said. The incident follows clashes on Sunday between forces loyal to President Joseph Kabila and Jean-Pierre Bemba, who face a run-off election in October. "They're out and they're coming to UN headquarters. Everyone's safe," a spokesman for the UN force said, after the diplomats were rescued. | “President Kabila's presidential guards opened fire on the house using tanks and heavy machine guns...” |
A diplomatic source told AFP the fighting had lasted at least half-an-hour, and had destroyed Mr Bemba's helicopter. The diplomats were rescued by a convoy of armoured vehicles in a joint operation by at least 250 European and UN peacekeepers.