At least 14 people have been killed
including children and two soldiers in an attack on a train blamed on
former rebel fighters south of the Congo capital Brazzaville, police
said Sunday.
The attack was carried out Friday by
former Ninja Nsiloulou fighters of ex-rebel chief Frederic Bintsamou,
otherwise known as Pastor Ntumi, in the town of Mindouli in the Pool
department.
“The ninjas killed 14 people… including
children. They keep carrying out more and more terrorist acts,” said
police spokesman Jules Monkala Tchoumou. “It is horrific.”
Recent clashes involving former ninja
rebels triggered a massive exodus of locals from the area, where several
villages are now completely empty.
The Ninjas fought two civil wars in the
1990s and were headed by Protestant preacher Bintsamou, who is called
the Prophet by his admirers.
Bintsamou came out in favour of
presidential candidate Guy-Brice Parfait Kolelas, who lost to longtime
leader Denis Sassou Nguesso in elections in March, which the opposition
say was marked by massive fraud.
Congo has been on edge since a
constitutional referendum last October ended a two-term limit on
presidential mandates, allowing the 72-year-old head of state to extend
his 32 years in power.
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