Congo Rebels Block U.N. TroopsRebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have prevented U.N. peace monitors from entering one of the country's key cities.One-hundred-and-twenty Moroccan troops were scheduled to land in the strategic north-eastern city of Kisangani on Sunday. Their deployment was part of U.N.-brokered peace initiative, agreed in February, aimed at bringing to an end the civil war that has split the country since 1998. Rebels forces, however, refused to allow the Moroccan units to land, insisting that the U.N. Mission to Congo (MONUC) must first condemn alleged atrocities by government forces. "We cannot let this deployment take place as long as the United Nations mission for Congo has not publicly condemned these atrocities," said Joseph Mudumbi, head of the main rebel movement, the Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD). Rebel forces allege that government troops encroached on land it had vacated as part of the February peace deal. During the encroachment, in Eastern Kasai province, seven civilians are alleged to have been killed by government troops, four raped and thousands forced to flee. U.N. envoy Kamal Morjane confirmed on Sunday that observers had found evidence of atrocities in Eastern Kasai, but said it would be several days before a report could be published. |
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