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First-person Account of Congo Bombings
GEMENA AND KARAWA, CONGO (January, 1999) - In a special dispatch coming from the area of Gemena and Karawa, an eye-witness describes the bombing of Karawa and the flight of numerous missionaries to find secure hiding places. The verbatim report, edited to protect the identify and location of the writer, follows:
"I left Gemena (late December) to hide somewhere. Last Monday we learned that the regular soldiers dropped bombs on Karawa. The next day this information was confirmed . . . there was only material damage and nobody died in Karawa.
"Yesterday, they dropped four bombs on Gemena city. They fell on Libenge moke, Avenue Tambora, Labo river and Boyambi. The Sudanese pilots are using antonov planes to bomb Gemena and surrounding villages. It is very sad to see that no soldier is touched by these bombs. Only the rural population who pays the cost of this battle.
"In Businga, the foreign soldiers from Tchad and Zimbabwe killed many young men. All male are considered as soldiers and killed. (This information came from missionaries who ran away from Businga . . . on foot. They spent several days walking in the bush and had swollen legs.)
"For now, the war is focused on Gbadolite where the soldiers are coming from Zimbabwe, Sudan, Namibia, Tchad, Uganda and Angola (for the government) and, on the other hand, the rebels (Ancient Mobuto's soldiers) who are helped by soldiers from Uganda.
"As many countries are fighting, I do believe that this war will take a long time.
"Dear friends, we are really grateful to you because of your prayers. We are sure that if we are safe now, it is due to your daily prayer. May the Lord bless all of you."
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