“THE ceasefire and the disengagement agreement between the parties is continuing to hold” in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a press statement issued on 28 July by the United Nations mission to the DRC (MONUC). “Most of the forces have completed their redeployment and, as of 27 July, 86 of the designated 96 redeployment positions had been visited and the disengagement of forces in those areas verified by MONUC observers.” The statement also notes that although Jean-Pierre Bemba’s rebel Mouvement de liberation du Congo (MLC) troops have nearly completed their redeployment in Equateur Province, the MLC “has not relinquished administrative control of the areas its military forces are vacating, effectively preventing government forces from moving forward to their designated positions of Losombo, Abunakombo and Djefera”. According to MONUC, government and allied forces have agreed to hold their current locations for the time being. – IRIN
Friday August 3, 2001