Heavy arms fire on Monday targeted the residence of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba, a candidate in the country’s presidential election, diplomatic sources said.
Bemba and foreign ambassadors of an international committee accompanying the transition to democracy, known by its French acronym of CIAT, were in the building when the attack began.
”There was heavy arms fire, probably canons, rocket-launchers and heavy machine guns,” a diplomatic source said on the condition of anonymity.
”Bemba’s private helicopter was destroyed and the CIAT ambassadors sought cover in the villa’s cellar,” the source said.
Another diplomat told Agence France-Press that an ”evacuation plan for the ambassadors” was being drawn up.
CIAT includes the ambassadors of the five United Nations Security Council permanent members — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — as well as Angola, Belgium, Canada, Gabon, Zambia and South Africa and officials from the UN peacekeeping mission Monuc, the European Union and the African Union.
Provisional results of the DRC’s presidential election released on Sunday showed that Bemba came second behind incumbent President Joseph Kabila.
The two men will now face off against each other in a second round run-off on October 29. — Sapa-AFP