Covenant News

Rebels Withdrawing; Protests Continue in Kinshasa

KINSHASA, CONGO (June 4, 2004) - Rebel soldiers appear to be withdrawing from Bukavu following three days of protests that left five people dead, according to updates from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Demonstrations continue, however, as hundreds of people – many of them students – continue to protest what they believe is the failure on the part of United Nations peacekeeping forces to prevent the Bukavu takeover.

The five deaths occurred when UN troops fired into a crowd trying to loot the UN office, according to BBC. There is an as yet unconfirmed report that one of the five casualties was a nine-year-old child. Most people remain in their homes and travel has come to a virtual halt, sources tell Covenant News Service. Most flights have been cancelled.

More information will be posted to this online Covenant news report as it becomes available. To read the first story noting the outbreak of violence, please see Two Dead as Fighting Erupts.

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