Aid arrives in Brazzville as bodies collected

Humanitarian assistance is starting to arrive in strife-torn Brazzaville, aid workers told IRIN. A plane carrying rice, beans, sugar, cooking oil and other commodities arrived in the Congolese capital from the port city of Pointe Noire on Friday and medical supplies are also arriving. Thousands of displaced people from the southern Bacongo and Makelekele suburbs of the city are grouped in 14 sites. In addition some 150,000 people are said to have taken refuge at the Ganga Lingolo site and 30,000 at the Kinsoudi site, which remains insecure. A total of up to 250,000 are estimated to have been displaced by the fighting in southern Brazzaville since 18 December. Meanwhile, the removal of bodies from Brazzaville’s streets began late last week, supervised by the interior ministry, the sources said. However Reuters quoted relief workers as saying rotting bodies were still lying on the streets of Bacongo and Makelekele suburbs as of yesterday (Monday). No official death toll has been released. UN sources told IRIN 21 out of 84 Congolese UN workers in the city are still missing. In the affected southern suburbs, two houses belonging to UN staff burnt down after shells landed on them, and three others were completely looted.