35 killed in DRC fighting
2005-12-27 11:22
Kinshasa - Government soldiers backed by United Nations troops battled Ugandan rebels during a sweep of the Democratic Republic of Congo's restive eastern region, killing 35 insurgents near the city of Beni, said the UN.
One UN peacekeeper from India was killed, said spokesperson Hans-Jakob Reichen.
Government troops have been trying ahead of next year's elections to re-establish authority in a region roiled by violence since the 1998-2002 war - a conflict that drew in the armies of six nations and left about four million dead, mostly from strife-induced hunger and disease.
The troops are battling homegrown militia fighters as well as rebels from neighboring Rwanda and Uganda.
Reichen said there were about 1 000 Ugandan fighters in the DRC - running guns, poaching endangered wildlife and terrorising civilians.
15 000 UN troops
"Our goal is to free the people from the effects of the rebels," he said.
About 15 000 UN troops are in the DRC to help provide security in a country the size of western Europe and wracked for years by war, army revolts and coups d'etat.
On Sunday, about 3 500 Congo troops backed by about 600 UN peacekeepers battled Ugandan rebels near Beni.
Reichen said the battle was part of a weeks-long sweep of the east.
The DRC is seeking to elect its first democratic government in more than three decade to replace a transitional administration set up after the war.
Last week's voting saw millions of Congolese deciding on a new constitution for their country. With the majority of votes counted, the charter seemed headed for approval.
- AP