VOA标准英语10月-Tense Calm Returns to Eastern Congo City

Relative calm returned to Goma, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, as rebels positioned outside the city appeared to respect a unilateral cease-fire. Tens of thousands of civilians¹ have been displaced in recent days, as the rebels battled government forces, advancing to within a few kilometers of Goma. Derek Kilner has more from VOA's East Africa bureau in Nairobi.
　

Renegade General Laurent Nkunda (2007 file photo)

After four days of fighting, as rebels from the National Congress for People's Defense² advanced to the edge of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the group's leader Laurent Nkunda, declared a unilateral cease-fire late Wednesday.

The advance of the rebels had caused panic in Goma, as government soldiers and civilians fled the city.

The U.N. Radio Okapi reported widespread looting late Wednesday, and that nine people had been killed and three raped³.

Nkunda told the France 24 television network that he wanted to avoid instability in Goma.

"We ceased fire and now we are back to about 12 kilometers from Goma," he said. "We did it because the town was destabilized in the evening by FARDC government forces, looting, raping⁴, and robbing people in Goma."

Madnodje Mounoubai, a spokesman for the U.N. peacekeeping force, known by the French acronym⁵ MONUC, said the mission is working to restore security in the city.
　

A Congolese soldier walks near a group of displaced Congolese women in the provincial6 capital of Goma, 30 Oct 2008

"The town appears to be calm, quiet, even though we can see some tension. There was some fighting around the town till about 1:00 am this morning, but after that everything is quiet. MONUC is patrolling the streets. We have no shooting, we have no fighting. The troops are not advancing so we think the ceasefire is holding," he said.

Mounoubai said many of the government soldiers had left Goma, but some remained. MONUC has about 800 troops in Goma.

Previous cease-fire agreements in the region have quickly broken down, and Nkunda has declared his intention to take control of Goma.

Officials with the U.N. peacekeeping mission have said its troops will defend Goma.

MONUC, has about 6,000 of its 17,000 peacekeepers deployed⁷ in North Kivu province. It has moved to redeploy some of its troops from other parts of the country, and has asked additional troops to be sent to the country.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, whose country holds the European Union presidency⁸, has proposed sending a force of 1,500 European troops to the country. The EU deployed a similar peacekeeping force to Ituri province, to the north of Goma, in 2003.

Rwanda's foreign minister traveled to Congo for talks on the conflict, as did U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer.
　

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer (file photo)

Speaking Wednesday in Nairobi, Frazer called for Nkunda's forces to halt the offensive. She also played down accusations¹⁰ by the Congolese government that Rwanda has been involved in the fighting, a charge Rwanda and Nkunda have denied.

"We have no evidence that Rwanda is fighting directly in the conflict in Eastern Congo," she said. "We do believe that Rwandan territory has been used to provide support to CNDP. It is a very very tiny easy border to cross, and supplies can go back and forth¹¹ rather easily."

Nkunda, who says he is fighting to protect the region's ethnic-Tutsi minority, has accused Congo's government of cooperating with the FDLR, a Rwandan Hutu militia¹², many of whose members participated in that country's 1994 genocide. Rwanda has echoed that accusation⁹.

The U.N. refugee agency says that about 45,000 civilians have fled toward Goma since the latest fighting began Sunday. UNICEF says it is now providing assistance to about 50,000 people in refugee camps outside Goma. Civilians have also been leaving Goma, with many Tutsis crossing into Rwanda.

International staff from humanitarian¹³ organizations including Oxam and Action Aid have withdrawn¹⁴ from Goma

Nkunda signed a peace agreement with the government in January, but fighting broke out again in August. More than 200,000 people have fled their homes, adding to a displaced population in the region that now numbers more than one million.

　

1 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

4 raping   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的现在分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• In response, Charles VI sent a punitive expedition to Brittany, raping and killing the populace. 作为报复，查理六世派军讨伐布列塔尼，奸淫杀戮平民。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The conquerors marched on, burning, killing, raping and plundering as they went. 征服者所到之处烧杀奸掠，无所不做。 来自互联网

5 acronym   

n.首字母简略词，简称

参考例句：

• That's a mouthful of an acronym for a very simple technology.对于一项非常简单的技术来说，这是一个很绕口的缩写词。
• TSDF is an acronym for Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities.TSDF是处理，储存和处置设施的一个缩写。

6 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

7 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

8 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

9 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

10 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

11 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

12 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

13 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

14 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。