DRC firearms go up in flames

2002-05-02 12:55

Kinshasa - More than 1 000 weapons used in the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were set ablaze here on Tuesday, a symbolic event held in the presence of United Nations Security Council ambassadors.

In the shadow of a sports stadium on Kinshasa's Boulevard Trimphal, three two-metre pyres of rifles voluntarily handed over by troops of Rwandan origin who fought alongside DRC government troops were first doused in copious quantities of petrol then torched by dignitaries including France's ambassador to the United Nations, Jean-David Levitte.

It was the first destruction of weapons used in the devastating DRC war, which pits rebels backed by troops from Rwanda and Uganda against DRC forces supported by soldiers from Zimbabwe and Angola.

"This has very very great significance," UN envoy to the DRC Amos Namanga N'Gongi told reporters as the arms blazed away to the cheers of a crowd of Congolese onlookers.

'Great step forward'

"For us this is a great step forward. It shows we are now able to credibly show the international community that the disarmament process is going ahead," he said.

"We can use this ceremomony as a way of encouraging those who still bear arms in the forest that arms (they eventually hand over) will not be used to continue combat and destabilisation but will be destroyed and put out of action so that the Congolese people can stay in peace," he added.

"The Security Council gathered here hopes that many other arms will be destroyed," Levitte said at the start of the ceremony.

"We hope that all Rwandan combattants who are involved in operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo follow this example," he added. - Sapa-AFP

- SAPA