VOA常速英语2007-Congo Rebels Stall Surrender

By Noel King
Kigali
25 October 2007

U.N. officials in Congo say dissident Congolese General Laurent Nkunda has failed to make good on his pledge to send 500 of his troops for integration¹ into Congo's regular army. Noel King has more in this report from Kigali.

 

A spokesman for General Nkunda told VOA that 200 rebel soldiers reported to Kirolirwe camp to undergo the integration process, late Wednesday.

 

Bwambale Kakolele said another 300 troops marched to Kirolirwe.

But the U.N. Mission in Congo said no rebels had yet handed themselves over for integration.

 

Major Prem Kumar Tiwari is the U.N. military spokesman in North Kivu province, at the center of the current conflict.

 

"Nobody has reported so far," he said. "If anybody comes over there he will be accepted and that will be confirmed. As of now, we can take it as nobody has reported so far."

 

General Nkunda said Wednesday that he would integrate 500 of his men into Congo's army, in order to help bring peace to the region.

 

He is believed to have between 5,000-8,000 men under his command.

 

Nkunda said he would continue to call on Congo to disarm² Hutu militias³ known as the FDLR, who have links to the perpetrators of neighboring Rwanda's 1994 genocide.

 

Nkunda broke ranks with Congo's army in 2004, charging that not enough had been done to neutralize⁴ the FDLR, which perpetrated attacks on Congolese Tutsis.

 

Nkunda, an ethnic⁵ Tutsi, says he is trying to protect Congo's Tutsi population. Analysts⁶ say Nkunda has powerful backers with interests in the region's vast mineral wealth.

 

Congo's administration has refused to negotiate with Nkunda since the general pulled out of a January peace agreement.

1 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

2 disarm   

v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和

参考例句：

• The world has waited 12 years for Iraq to disarm. 全世界等待伊拉克解除武装已有12年之久。
• He has rejected every peaceful opportunity offered to him to disarm.他已经拒绝了所有能和平缴械的机会。

3 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

4 neutralize   

v.使失效、抵消，使中和

参考例句：

• Nothing could neutralize its good effects.没有什么能抵消它所产生的好影响。
• Acids neutralize alkalis and vice versa.酸能使碱中和碱，亦能使酸中和。

5 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

6 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。