Thursday, October 30, 2008

Chaos In The City Of Goma, Congo

A Congolese soldier walks near a group of displaced women in the provincial capital of Goma on Thursday. Police told residents to stay indoors and many shops and schools were closed. Walter Astrada / AFP - Getty Images

U.N.: Congo Troops Rape, Pillage As Rebels Near -- MSNBC/AP

Looting, 9 deaths reported in Goma; crowds cheer returning peacekeepers

GOMA, Congo - Congolese soldiers pillaged, raped and also killed at least nine people in overnight violence that terrorized residents of this eastern provincial capital besieged by rebels, according to U.N. radio.

Army Col. Jonas Padiri said the situation was calm Thursday morning and that his men were in control of Goma.

Soldiers were patrolling the city in trucks; one soldier, sitting by the side of the road, wore a Darth Vader mask. Some soldiers appeared drunk at 8 a.m.

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My Comment: The Congolese Army seems to be made up of criminals .... and the rebels that defeated them appear to be the professional soldiers. Is the U.N. backing the right side?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Even the UN admits the rebel army is very discipline which means they are serious about what they want.

Anonymous said...

The "rebels" led by renegade General Laurent Nkunda are very disciplined indeed; they rape, torture, and kill, very systematically, so as to shatter family, community, and resistance. Nkunda claims to be protecting Tutsi refugees, but he is actually there to assert U.S.-backed Rwanda's control over Congolese mineral wealth in Eastern Congo.