Thousands flee India-patrolled Congo area

Goma, Congo, Oct. 27: Thousands of refugees and soldiers are fleeing fighting in eastern Congo in an area patrolled by Indian peacekeepers under the UN mandate in what appears to be a major retreat of government forces being attacked by rebels of renegade Gen. Laurent Nkunda.

Reporters watched soldiers in tanks, trucks, jeeps and commandeered cars struggle to make their way through crowds of fleeing civilians on Monday. The soldiers were on the main road south from a major Army base seized by rebels and moving toward the provincial capital of Goma. UN officials say Gen. Nkunda’s fighters blatantly launched several rockets at peacekeepers in two armoured cars on Sunday. A spokesman for Gen. Nkunda on Monday denied responsibility for the attack that injured several UN soldiers.

The United Nations said rebels fired several rockets at two carloads of peacekeepers during heavy fighting. Spokesman Colonel Samba Tall said some soldiers were slightly injured and both cars were damaged on Sunday. Mr Tall did not give the nationalities of the soldiers involved, but that area is patrolled by Indian troops.

Meanwhile, thousands of civilians tossed rocks at the United Nations compound in eastern Congo on Monday, venting outrage at the organisation’s inability to protect them from rebel forces advancing on the provincial capital of Goma. The crowd shattered windows and damaged cars, UN spokeswoman Sylvie van den Wildenberg said. There were no immediate reports of any one injured.

People in eastern Congo are angry that the UNs’ 17,000-strong peacekeeping force has been unable to protect them. from a rebel attack just 40 km north of the city. Thousands of civilians have abandoned their home. —AP