More French peacekeepers arrives, villages burnt

(9 Jun 2003) Katoto (village, 25 kilometres - 16 miles - north of Bunia) 1. Wide of burning house and Hema tribesmen walking past 2. Soldiers walking past houses (not burning) 3. Women and children walking past demolished house 4. Mid shot of smouldering, demolished house 5. Mid shot of burnt vehicle Bunia 6. Wide of French light tank driving out the back of a French military aircraft 7. Various of armoured vehicles and light tanks at airport 8. French soldiers standing in line across street with weapons drawn 9. French soldier pointing LAW anti tank weapon 10. Wide of street and people watching 11. French officer signalling to car to stop, pulls out and pans to show car on street 12. Mid shot of passenger and driver getting out of car (two senior UPC - Union Congolese Patriots, Hema tribal militia) 13. UN vehicle approaches the UPC officers, peacekeeper waves to French troops to show it's okay STORYLINE: French troops continue to arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of an international force supposed to help end months of tribal fighting there. France is providing more than 700 troops to the international force, code-named Artemis, which is deploying in the northeastern Congolese town of Bunia under both European Union and United Nations mandates. The force, which will be up to 1,700-strong, is supposed to reinforce some 750 United Nations troops deployed in Bunia. Bunia has been wracked by violence as rival Lendu and Hema tribal factions have fought for control of the town and surrounding area. Bunia is capital of the mineral and resource rich Ituri province. An advance party of several dozen French special forces arrived in Bunia on Friday to set up the force's base at the airport six kilometres (4 miles) west of the town. A day later, Lendu militia launched dawn raids on Bunia and at least five people were killed and hundreds forced to flee their homes in several hours of fighting between the Lendu fighters and the Union of Congolese Patriots, or UPC, a Hema group that controls the town. On Sunday, homes could be seen smouldering and others demolished in the village of Katoto, 25 kilometres (16 miles) north of Bunia. Locals claimed hundreds had been killed and that they had seen a number of shallow graves. These claims could not be independently verified. French light tanks and vehicles were also being unloaded from Bunia's airport on Sunday, and French troops were carrying out patrols near the airport. On Monday, some 350 French troops arrived in Entebbe airport, in Uganda, from where they will be deployed to neighbouring Congo. The troops joined another 357 French forces who arrived in Entebbe, 35 kilometres (22 miles) southeast of Kampala, on Sunday, according to a French official. The composition of the remainder of the force, which will not operate under U.N. command nor wear the hallmark blue helmets of U.N. peacekeepers, has not yet been confirmed. But it is expected to include troops from Canada, South Africa, Senegal, Nigeria and Pakistan. The mandate of the (blue helmeted) U.N. troops in Congo is to protect U.N. installations and personnel. They can only fire in self defence and have been unable to stem the violence. The international force's mandate is not yet clear, but it will be authorised to shoot to kill if necessary, and will be deployed for three months. The war in Congo erupted in August 1998 after Rwanda and Uganda sent troops into the country to back Congolese rebels attempting to oust then-President Laurent Kabila. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...