SECRETARY-GENERAL DEEPLY ALARMED AT OUTBREAK

 

OF FIGHTING IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

 

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General is deeply alarmed at the outbreak of fighting in Kinshasa between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and the guards of former Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba.  The Secretary-General calls for an immediate halt to the fighting which threatens the lives of innocent civilians in the area and risks grave consequences for peace in the country. 

The United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) stands ready to assist the Government in bringing about an end to the current fighting, to re-establish security in the area, and to work with the Congolese Government in addressing the underlying issue of appropriate security for Mr. Bemba.

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For information media • not an official record