French report progress toward cease-fire in Republic of Congo
June 10, 1997
Web posted at: 10:15 a.m. EDT (1415 GMT)BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo (CNN) -- A spokeswoman for French President Jacques Chirac said rival factions battling for control of Brazzaville had agreed to a cease-fire. But gunfire between government troops and followers of an ex-president still rang Tuesday morning in the Republic of Congo's capital.
Witnesses said the streets were quieter by morning after heavy gun and grenade fire rocked the city overnight. Meanwhile, a strengthened French force worked to evacuate civilians in the former French colony.
The fighting between supporters of President Pascal Lissouba and former head of state Denis Sassou-Nguesso, which entered its sixth day Tuesday, was fierce around Brazzaville's international airport, where the evacuees waited for flights out of the country.
AIFF or WAVJournalist Joe Duran on the situation in Brazzaville
(288 K / 22 sec. audio)
AIFF or WAVDuran describes the shelling and shooting
(256 K / 18 sec. audio)France and the United States have led efforts to evacuate thousands of internationals from the city.
A spokeswoman for Chirac said Monday that the French president had spoken with Lissouba and Sassou-Nguesso by telephone, and both had agreed to peace talks mediated by Gabonese President Omar Bongo.
Monday night, Sassou-Nguesso's forces claimed to be in control of most of the city, but a French spokesman said that Lissouba's forces retained control of the town hall. On Tuesday, the president's troops controlled the southern part of the city, while Sassou-Nguesso held the northern and central sections.
French paratroopers jumped into Brazzaville Monday to augment troops already there. At least 800 French troops were on the ground, and French officials said their mission is strictly one of .
"There's no question of us being involved in any fighting," said a spokesman. "We will absolutely not be drawn into combat. ... If we encounter a big company of soldiers, we'll turn around."
In Paris, Chirac's spokeswoman said the two sides had not set a date for talks but were working out details.
The fighting began Thursday when government troops, fearing trouble as July's presidential election approaches, tried to disarm the militiamen loyal to Sassou-Nguesso.
Sassou-Nguesso ruled the country as a dictator for over 10 years, but was forced to institute political reforms in 1991. Lissouba won a presidential election the following year.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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