New DRC clashes leave 47 dead
2009-12-17 20:20
Kinshasa - Insurgents and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) troops clashed in a northwestern flashpoint this week in fighting that left around 47 rebels dead, a UN official said on Thursday.
The fighting erupted on Tuesday near the town of Dongo which government troops recaptured at the weekend after weeks of violence that forced 150 000 people to flee, some across the border, the official said.
The army had told the UN mission, which lends it logistical support, that soldiers had killed 47 insurgents and wounded 32, the official said.
"There was significant resistance," the UN representative said.
Clashes broke out in Dongo late October between two tribes at odds over rich fishing waters.
At least 100 people were killed, mostly in and around the village which is about 200km south of the main town of Gemena.
Insurgents steadily advanced on the area, eventually coming into contact with police and military reinforcements who recaptured the area on Sunday.
About 500 UN peacekeepers were sent in to help the troops with transport, re-supplies and other logistics, according to the UN mission in the DRC (Monuc).
About half of those who fled the violence have sought refuge in neighbouring Republic of Congo.
The DRC is beset troubles with several armed groups active on its eastern border, an undisciplined army and crumbling infrastructure after years of war and mismanagement.
Approximately two million people are believed to have been killed in 10 years of warfare, according to non-governmental organisations.
- SAPA