Police to crack down on "trouble-makers"

The chief of police in the Republic of Congo (ROC), Gilbert Mokoki, on Saturday announced a three-month crack-down on "trouble-makers", following two nights of unrest and violence in suburbs in the south of the capital, Brazzaville. The operation, codenamed "Espoir" (Hope), would "track down all those illegally carrying weapons, those carrying out theft, pillaging, violent robbery, and drug-users, Mokoki said on launching the campaign. He said the operation, which would be undertaken by units of the police and army, should not cause any bother or concern for the general public. Panic broke out during the nights of 15-16 and 17-18 December in the suburbs of Bacongo and Makelekele due to what Mokoki said were "out-of-control elements of the security forces", including the army, police and former militia fighters. He said some members of the security forces implicated in the trouble had been identified, while others were still on the run, adding that when caught, they would be "severely punished". Former militia fighters, known as 'Cobras' and 'Ninjas', although demobilised, have not yet handed all their weapons into the military, the ROC government says. Up until March, the Pool region of Congo was wracked by violence between government forces and 'Ninja' fighters loyal to rebel leader Pasteur Frederic Bitsangou, alias Ntoumi. Despite a peace agreement signed on 17 March 2003, however, the area remains unstable.