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U.N. Boat Convoy Attacked in Congo
Tribal fighters hiding on the banks of Lake Albert attacked a U.N. boat convoy going to investigate a reported massacre in volatile northeastern Ituri province, a U.N. spokesman said Thursday. There were no U.N. casualties in the attack, but the groupâs mission was called off, said Leocadio Salmeron, spokesman of the U.N. mission to Congo. "Evinrude, donât fail me now!" The convoy of U.N. speedboats was heading for the hamlet of Gobu Wednesday to investigate alleged human rights abuses in the area, three weeks after tribal fighters reportedly killed as many as 100 boat passengers on the lake, Salmeron said. Three weeks? Oh, right, itâs the UN. Continue... However, the U.N. human rights officers came under heavy fire from unknown assailants with high-caliber assault rifles, some four miles from the site of the reported massacre, Salmeron said. U.N. troops from Uruguay in the four-boat convoy "responded with heavy gunfire" for at least 15 minutes, then called off the mission "because the speed boats were not reinforced to protect United Nations workers," Salmeron said. Sent pleasure boats into a war zone when they needed gunboats. The U.N. mission was analyzing the situation, Salmeron said. Itâs what they do best, right after tea parties and seminars. U.N. officials had been hoping to gather information on the reported killings that took place Jan. 15. Before the alleged massacre, two dozen Lendu tribal fighters had said they would protect an estimated 180 passengers traveling south from Mokambo, some 62 miles north of Bunia, in large wooden canoes. "Trust us, weâll protect them" But survivors later said the fighters ordered the canoes to stop at Gobu, 25 miles south of Mokambo, killed most of the male passengers, raped some women and ordered them and the children to carry cargo looted from the vessels. Congo, still the Heart Of Darkness. Posted by: Steve 2004-02-05 |
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