FIGHTING IN CONGO

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31773, 2 September 1968, Page 13

FIGHTING IN CONGO

(N.Z. PA.-Reuter—Copyright)

KINSHASA, Sept. 1

Hundreds of Youth League members were killed when the Brazzaville National Popular Army attacked their camp, according to witnesses of fighting in Brazzaville during the last two days. Some put the death roll at more than 300.

The onlookers came to Kinshasa across the Congo River by a special ferry, which was allowed to transport travellers who had been stranded on each bank when CongoKinshasa closed its frontier with Congo-Brazzaville on August 30. The fighting stopped yesterday—and soon afterwards a communique issued by Brazzaville’s supreme body, the National Council for the Revolution, said that the Army hadl captured the “meteorological camp,” where dissident Youth League members had been entrenched since August 29. Witnesses said that many I Youth League members had been killed as they tried to flee from the camp when the Army launched an all-out attack.

The political situation in Congo-Brazzaville has been uneasy since a military coup by the Army earlier this month overthrew President Massemba Debat, who was later reinstated with curtailed powers. A priest said he had given the last rites to many of the dying at the Brazzaville General Hospital. Another traveller said he saw eight Youth League members mown down as they tried to flee in a lorry today. Radio Brazzaville tonight broadcast a communique from Captain Marien Ugouabi, the army commander-in-chief, asking soldiers of the National Popular Army to refrain from “acting in a manner likely to soil the reputation of the Army" while carrying out searches for arms.