Rebels Provide Warning for Congo's Government Troops

By: Brett Hulett

The latest newsworthy occurrence out of the Congo is perhaps the most frightening of them all. Just outside of Goma, rebel troops established a roadblock against the opposition--a roadblock made out of human bodies. The slain bodies of two government troops were thrown across a narrow, dirt road, apparently to scare off any government troops in the region. This road happens to be the main road into the rebel-controlled area of Congo and it shows that the brutal violence in Congo is nowhere near its end. One of the bodies has a bullet hole in its forehead, a clear indication for government troops to stay away. But the roadblock not only sent a message to the troops in the area, but also to any unfortunate civilians. Residents of the Congo say they are more fearful than ever of the increased violence and they just want to see it all end. However, there seems to be no clear end to the violence, a series of events that began in 1994 as a result to the genocide in Rwanda.

Asked about the incident, rebel troops stated that the army attacked, and that they merely responded. Up to this point, the rebel troops in Congo have proven to be far more disciplined on the battlefield, and many believe incidents like this will only continue to feed their confidence in the fight for their cause.