AFRICA/CONGO RD - Bukavu. Enraged crowd plunders UN offices in four Congolese cities, accusing international troops of not having defended east Congo cities from the guerrilla

Thursday, 3 June 2004

Kinshasa (Fides Agnecy) - An enraged crowd has attacked UN headquarters in four cities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC). The demonstrators accuse UN forces of not having prevented occupation of Bukavu, in northern Kivu, eastern Congo, by guerrilla forces belonging to the RCD-Goma (Congolese Union for Democracy). In the capital, Kinshasa, the UN compound guards opened fire killing two demonstrators. UN officers in Kisangani, Lumumbashi and Kindu say people plundered their warehouses.
The Congolese president, Joseph Kabila, told the international press he is “disappointed” with the international community’s behaviour, since it wasn’t capable of stopping the occupation of Bukavu. The president said he proclaimed the state of emergency in the Country and he is ready to re-conquer the city with arms. (L.M.) (Fides Agency 3/6/2004 lines 15 words 159)


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