Wüstenschiff

Des dizaines de militaires encerclaient depuis ce lundi matin la maison du colonel Ntsourou, située dans le centre-ville de la capitale congolaise. Une fusillade très intense a éclaté entre les deux camps dans la matinée, alors que le colonel était retranché avec près d'une centaine de fidèles. L'ancien secrétaire général adjoint du Conseil national de sécurité avait été condamné en septembre à 5 ans de travaux forcés avec sursis dans l'affaire des explosions de Mpila.

Heavy gunfire rocked the capital of the Republic of Congo but then calm returned. Residents remained in their homes and businesses were closed after the gunfire started Monday near the home of Col. Marcel Tsourou, and overtook the city center.

Fighting in Republic of Congo’s capital left at least 22 dead after the army battled with forces loyal to a colonel convicted for his role in an explosion last year that killed about 300 people. Colonel Marcel Tsourou, the former deputy secretary general of the National Security Council, was arrested last night in the capital, Brazzaville, after fighting with Congolese security forces throughout the day near his home. The city’s morgue confirmed the deaths in a statement.

The British government scaled down a travel advisory for the Republic of Congo, saying recent conflict in the capital Brazzaville was an isolated event.