“Intensive” fighting continuing in Kisangani

Lieutenant-Colonel Akram Hossain, who heads the UN monitoring team in Kisangani, confirmed to IRIN the Ugandan army began shelling Rwandan and rebel RCD positions at 0400 on Friday morning. The fighting was still continuing and at times was very intensive, he said.

Currently it was concentrated on the outskirts of the town, particularly around the main airport, but he feared it would soon move into the town centre as the Ugandans were advancing in that direction towards Rwandan and RCD positions. Hossain said mortars and rocket launchers were being used. The latest casualty figures he had received were five dead and nine injured, but he believed the number would be much higher.

Hossain added that he had tried to talk to the Ugandan and Rwandan commanders, but had only managed to speak with the Rwandan commander who told him his soldiers were in “defensive positions” after coming under attack.