[HOME ] [ABOUT] [PHOTOS] [VIDEO] [BLOG] [HOUSTON] [TEXAS] [U.S. NEWS] [WORLD NEWS] [SPORTS] [POP CULTURE] [CONTACT]
Congo put on alert by UN peace-keeping troops after attacks
by Joseph Earnest December 30, 2013
Newscast Media KINSHASA—The United Nations has placed its troops in the conflict-ridden Democratic Republic of Congo on alert following several coordinated attacks by armed assailants in the capital, Kinshasa, and two other cities.
"The UN mission in the country, MONUSCO, has taken measures to ensure the safety and security of its staff and placed troops in these locations on alert," AFP quoted UN spokesman Martin Niersky as saying on Monday.
Congo's government spokesman Lambert Mende said the army repulsed the attacks by the assailants on the state television station, the airport and the main military base in Kinshasa.
Mende also said that shooting had broken out in Lubumbashi, the country's second-largest city located in south eastern Congo.
"These are terrorists, you can't call them anything else," he said.
Clashes also erupted in the eastern town of Kindu. Mende said more than 70 attackers had been killed, 52 of them in Kinshasa, adding that three government soldiers also died in Monday’s fighting.
A UN staff member was also wounded during the exchange of fire at the Kinshasa airport. Defense Minister Alexandre Luba Ntambo told journalists the situation was now "totally under control" and an investigation was under way.
Meanwhile, it appears that the peace agreement that was signed earlier this month in Nairobi, Kenya is not being honored due to the continued attacks by the rebels. In a statement issued last week, the UN mission MONUSCO said its helicopters raided the Ugandan rebels ADF-NALU on Wednesday and regained control of the positions seized by rebels, who were linked to the killing of 40 or so civilians in the village of Kamango bordering Uganda, according to Xinhua news. (pop-up)
At least 10 rebels were killed and several peacekeepers injured in the fighting, according to the statement. Add Comments>>
Source: Press TV
|
|
Join the Newscast Media social networks
for current events and multimedia content.
Copyright© Newscast Media. All Rights Reserved. Terms and Privacy Policy