Gun battles between forces loyal to Congo's president, Joseph Kabila, and those of his main election rival, Jean-Pierre Bemba, broke out for a second day yesterday, with heavy fire reported outside the latter's home as he met senior foreign diplomats inside. A British envoy and William Swing, the head of the United Nations' 17,500-strong peacekeeping mission, were among those in Mr Bemba's residence in the capital, Kinshasa, the UN said. The UN spokesman, Jean-Tobias Okala, said all the envoys were safe after 150 UN troops in 20 armoured personnel carriers took them from Mr Bemba's home hours after they arrived for a meeting. Mr Bemba's political party said his rival's guards had attacked the house in the north-east of the city, drawing return fire, but not before Mr Bemba's helicopter had caught fire inside the compound. | Um. The helo "caught fire." Okaaaaaay... |
Congo's first elections in more than four decades are meant to select a legitimate leader to knit together the country's 58 million people and end years of corrupt rule and war that have roiled this vast nation and wider Central Africa. Kofi Annan, the UN secretary-general, whose peacekeeping troops are helping to oversee the voting process, hailed the elections as "a historic milestone in the peace process in the country". He urged the Congolese parties and candidates to "abide by the electoral law in the resolution of any disputes related to the electoral process" and "to accept and respect the final results of the elections".