U.N. Troops Help 'Neutralize' DR Congo Militia
The United Nations said Wednesday that around a quarter of Congolese militia group the Patriotic Revolutionary Forces of Ituri(FRPI) had been "neutralized" after a three-week military operation.
The Congolese army, backed by U.N. peacekeeping troops, launched an offensive against the FRPI in early June -- leaving 35 people dead, 52 wounded, and 36 captured alive, according to Martin Kobler, head of the U.N.'s MONUSCO mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kobler said the U.N. had provided military aid, including attack helicopters and drones, as well as logistical support.
The operation indicates bridge-building between Kinshasa and the U.N. peacekeepers after several months of tensions over which Congolese leaders should lead joint missions.
Ituri, in the DR Congo's northeast, has experienced a resurgence in violence in recent months after the surrender of FRPI leader Cobra Matata in November.
The FRPI is one of many militias formed along largely ethnic lines that fought in Ituri between 1999 and 2007 for a stake in the region's rich natural resources, including gold.
Several thousands of FRPI militants and many more from other rebel forces accepted demobilization in 2004-2006, but the group began reforming in late 2007.
Source: Agence France Presse
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