DR CONGO - Trapped DR Congo envoys rescued

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Monday, 21 August 2006,

22:14 GMT 23:14 UK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trapped

DR Congo envoys rescued

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smoke was seen

rising from Mr Bemba's

residence

 

 

 

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.

In July's first-round of

voting for a new president, Mr Kabila took 45% of the vote, just short of the

50% needed for victory, while Mr Bemba gained 20%.

 

 

 

 

Presidential

guard troops have been patrolling Kinshasa's streets

 

 

 

Witnesses told Reuters news agency that in Monday's violence,

President Kabila's presidential guards

opened fire on the house using tanks and heavy machine guns, Reuters

reported.

Mr Bemba's party said the

violence was an attack on the presidential challenger's life, but a

senior military official said Mr Bemba's guards had provoked

the battle, the Associated Press reported.

Mr Bemba is a former rebel leader and retains his own personal

security force.

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5272300.stm

 

Dasha: Ju/Sa/Ke/Ke/Ju

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

satva

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jorge Angelino

 

 

Rua da Sociedade Filarmónica

Perpétua Azeitonense, 29

2925-598 Azeitão

Portugal

 

 

 

 

jorge.angelino

 

 

 

 

 

 

tel:

mobile:

 

 

210813674

963916784

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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