Congo cease-fire holding

KINSHASA- Army rivals loyal to Congo’s two presidential candidates turned from battling to policing on Wednesday, patrolling alongside EU units after days of fighting that left 31 dead in the capital’s worst violence since the 2002 end to war.

A cease-fire brokered by the UN on Tuesday ended three days of fighting between President Joseph Kabila’s army loyalists and those of his campaign rival, Jean-Pierre Bemba. The truce appeared to be holding.While Congo’s eastern borderlands remain violent, widespread fighting hadn’t hit Kinshasa since the 2002 peace accords that established a national-unity government.The clashes left 31 people dead, a Congolese military official said Wednesday on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to reporters.The fighting has raised political tensions as the two candidates prepare to campaign before an October 29 runoff election.Some citizens were downbeat om Wednesday, fearing more strife.”This is only the tip of the iceberg.There are still differences between our politicians that need to be settled,” said Jean-Claude Lukusa, 47, a businessman in Kinshasa.”I don’t think these elections will have a happy ending.”The two factions started fighting Sunday when results from Congo’s historic election showed Kabila and Bemba, an ex-rebel leader who became vice president in the transitional administration, would face each other in a runoff vote.European Union forces spokesman Col.Thierry Fusalba said five or six joint patrols were planned for Wednesday.”Spanish, French, German and Polish soldiers are on patrol with the Congolese army,” Fusalba said.The army is responsible for internal policing in Congo and the European forces were helping return the troops to their job of providing security rather than sparking unrest.The EU has had 1,000 troops in Congo to help oversee the country’s first elections after 45 years of coups d’etat, corrupt rule and war.That force was boosted in the last few days by more than 200 reinforcements called in from Gabon.UN spokesman Kemal Saiki said the cease-fire was holding and transportation had returned to normal in Kinshasa.There were cars on the roads, though fewer than normal.Vendors opened their stalls and people walked along streets that Tuesday were filled with fighting troops.Two dead bodies lay uncollected in the streets on Wednesday, including one of a young man wearing tan pants and a white T-shirt.Bullet marks pocked some buildings.Nampa-APThe truce appeared to be holding.While Congo’s eastern borderlands remain violent, widespread fighting hadn’t hit Kinshasa since the 2002 peace accords that established a national-unity government.The clashes left 31 people dead, a Congolese military official said Wednesday on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to reporters.The fighting has raised political tensions as the two candidates prepare to campaign before an October 29 runoff election.Some citizens were downbeat om Wednesday, fearing more strife.”This is only the tip of the iceberg.There are still differences between our politicians that need to be settled,” said Jean-Claude Lukusa, 47, a businessman in Kinshasa.”I don’t think these elections will have a happy ending.”The two factions started fighting Sunday when results from Congo’s historic election showed Kabila and Bemba, an ex-rebel leader who became vice president in the transitional administration, would face each other in a runoff vote.European Union forces spokesman Col.Thierry Fusalba said five or six joint patrols were planned for Wednesday.”Spanish, French, German and Polish soldiers are on patrol with the Congolese army,” Fusalba said.The army is responsible for internal policing in Congo and the European forces were helping return the troops to their job of providing security rather than sparking unrest.The EU has had 1,000 troops in Congo to help oversee the country’s first elections after 45 years of coups d’etat, corrupt rule and war.That force was boosted in the last few days by more than 200 reinforcements called in from Gabon.UN spokesman Kemal Saiki said the cease-fire was holding and transportation had returned to normal in Kinshasa.There were cars on the roads, though fewer than normal.Vendors opened their stalls and people walked along streets that Tuesday were filled with fighting troops.Two dead bodies lay uncollected in the streets on Wednesday, including one of a young man wearing tan pants and a white T-shirt.Bullet marks pocked some buildings. Nampa-AP