DR of Congo: UN envoy holds meetings in Kisangani

The top United Nations official in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) travelled to Kisangani today as the UN mission in the country continued its investigation to establish the number of victims of last week's attempted mutiny in the strategic city.

Amos Namanga Ngongi, Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative in the DRC and the head of MONUC, the UN mission in the country, met today with a high-level delegation of the Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD).

During his visit, Mr. Ngongi also met with Bishop Konsego, who told the UN envoy that the demilitarization of Kisangani was a prerequisite to returning peace to the city.

In other news, a UN spokesman said today that there were no casualties among the group of 53 RCD police officers who had been pre-selected for eventual training as police instructors.

"I can confirm that they are alive," spokesman Fred Eckhard told a press briefing in New York.

"The UN mission did tell us that four officers had been killed in the last week, but they were not part of the pre-selected officers," Mr. Eckhard added.