UN troops beef up Kinshasa security after clashes

KINSHASA – UN peacekeeping forces clamped a heavy security shield on Congo’s capital Kinshasa on Sunday, a day after the riverside city was shaken by gunbattles linked to a historic but tense presidential election.

The government said four people were killed in the fighting on Saturday between supporters and soldiers loyal to Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila and those of his election rival, Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba. The vast, former Belgian colony, which is struggling to emerge from years of violence and chaos, is awaiting the official result of their Oct.29 run-off, due within a week.Returns filed by polling stations indicated Kabila leading with around 60 per cent of the vote, while Bemba had 40 per cent.Days before Saturday’s fighting, Bemba’s camp had complained of “systematic cheating” in the vote counting.The Independent Electoral Commission said there was no evidence to support this.But in a renewed challenge on Sunday, Bemba’s campaign manager Fidel Babala said the vice-president’s camp was sending another letter of complaint to the commission.”We may not respect the results if they don’t take our complaints seriously,” he said.Despite the continuing dispute, the streets of Kinshasa, which had echoed on Saturday to the sound of automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars, were calm on Sunday.The guns fell silent after emergency talks between representatives of Kabila and Bemba and UN leaders of the world’s biggest peacekeeping force, which is deployed in Congo.Blue-helmeted UN troops in white-painted armoured cars guarded main crossroads and offices and premises in Kinshasa used by Bemba, which were the scene of Saturday’s fighting.Buildings bore the marks of fresh bullet holes.Nampa-ReutersThe vast, former Belgian colony, which is struggling to emerge from years of violence and chaos, is awaiting the official result of their Oct.29 run-off, due within a week.Returns filed by polling stations indicated Kabila leading with around 60 per cent of the vote, while Bemba had 40 per cent.Days before Saturday’s fighting, Bemba’s camp had complained of “systematic cheating” in the vote counting.The Independent Electoral Commission said there was no evidence to support this.But in a renewed challenge on Sunday, Bemba’s campaign manager Fidel Babala said the vice-president’s camp was sending another letter of complaint to the commission.”We may not respect the results if they don’t take our complaints seriously,” he said.Despite the continuing dispute, the streets of Kinshasa, which had echoed on Saturday to the sound of automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars, were calm on Sunday.The guns fell silent after emergency talks between representatives of Kabila and Bemba and UN leaders of the world’s biggest peacekeeping force, which is deployed in Congo.Blue-helmeted UN troops in white-painted armoured cars guarded main crossroads and offices and premises in Kinshasa used by Bemba, which were the scene of Saturday’s fighting.Buildings bore the marks of fresh bullet holes.Nampa-Reuters