DRC troops guard supreme court
22/11/2006 15:31  - (SA)  

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Kinshasa - Dozens of troops on Wednesday guarded the supreme court in the Democratic Republic of Congo to prevent further violent protests while judges considered an opposition challenge to election results.

The capital, Kinshasa, was calm after Tuesday's clashes pitting riot police and the United Nations peacekeeping troops against supporters of Jean-Pierre Bemba, who lost a presidential poll last month on the final provisional results.

Lieutenant-colonel Thierry Fusalba of a European Union military force deployed to back the UN mission in DRC (Monuc), said: "No incidents were reported during the night. We have resumed our patrols."

Troops of the new Congolese army, which was still being formed after the war that ravaged the vast country from 1998 to 2003, stood guard over the main supreme court building, which was partly looted and burned by the rioters.

23 people killed

According to an announcement after the riots by army chief of staff general Gabriel Amisi, three UN armoured cars were posted over the road, part of a joint Monuc-DRC army task force that was set up "until further notice".

A Congolese army officer said: "We are there. It's calm, but we'll intervene if there is new provocation and if firearms are used again in the city."

During Tuesday's violence, which began with a protest at the supreme court by about 200 Bemba supporters, members of his armed guard at his residence, not far from the court premises in central Kinshasa, opened fire on riot police.

No casualties were reported, but the presence in the city of about 1 000 soldiers loyal to Bemba had increased tension before and since the election. In August, at least 23 people died after they battled Kabila's presidential guard.

Bemba filed a suit on Saturday to contest results given by the Independent Electoral Commission after his defeat in the October 29 election by President Joseph Kabila, who had for three years headed a transitional government in which Bemba became one of four vice-presidents.

According to the commission, Kabila took 58% of the votes against 42% for Bemba, but the wealthy businessman and former rebel and his aides had pointed to irregularities in the poll and ballot count.

The supreme court had a week to consider Bemba's case once he presented his challenge before it last weekend.

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