Four rebel militia camps in eastern DR of Congo demolished by UN peacekeepers

United Nations peacekeepers in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have demolished four camps belonging to armed rebel militias in the Ituri district and seized materials, including women's clothing used for disguises, the UN mission there said today.

Two of the camps were identified as belonging to the militia known as the Thomas Lubanga faction of the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC-L) and the other two belonged to an unidentified group. All four were located near Ituri's capital, Bunia.

Besides the women's clothes, peacekeepers from the UN Organization Mission in the DRC (MONUC) seized machetes, drugs and uniforms in the raids yesterday.

Meanwhile, responding to his fire, UN peacekeepers shot to death a UPC-L major as they tried to arrest him near the central market of Fataki, 60 kilometres north of Bunia, on charges of human rights violations. Two of his associates were arrested and turned over the DRC police, MONUC said.

Mixed patrols of MONUC troops and soldiers from the DRC's national army started operations yesterday in Bunia and removed two UPC-L roadblocks on the Bunia-Fataki road, it added.