KINSHASA, 23 August (IRIN): Bodies are still lying in the streets of Kinshasa and pillaging (plyndringer) continues in some neighbourhoods but a ceasefire reached late Tuesday between President Joseph Kabila and Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba seems to be holding.
– All troops have moved back to their earlier position, William Swing, the Special Representative for the UN Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), said Wednesday in Kinshasa, the capital.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Kabila and Bemba agreed to cede (afgive) control of parts of the city to the national police force and have verification teams monitor their compliance. Each verification team would comprise officials from the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC), the European Unions military force (som nu er fløjet ind) and police, the national army and Bembas and Kabilas guards.
Cars and pedestrians returned to Kinshasa on Wednesday for the first time in two days. However, the governor of Kinshasa, Kibembe Mazunga, said the Red Cross had not been able to enter the battle zones to count the corpses. – We have registered a number of people in the general hospital who are seriously injured, he added.
The chief of staff of the Congolese armed army, Gen Kisempia Sungilanga, said six people had been killed when the fighting began on Sunday, two hours before the Independent Electoral Commission issued preliminary election results, as Bemba was on his way to his television station to deliver a statement.
Fighting continued, with UN and Congolese armoured vehicles patrolling the streets. On Monday, members of Kabilas presidential guard laid siege to Bembas property, where he was meeting ambassadors.
Kabila won 45 percent of the national vote but 50 percent is needed to avoid a run-off. In Kinshasa, Kabila secured less than 20 percent of the vote, against Bemba’s 50 percent. A second round is scheduled for 29 October.
Kilde: FN-bureauet IRINnews
