Former rebel leader off the hook

The Republic of Congo has lifted arrest warrants for former rebel leader Frederic Bintsamou who led a violent campaign against the army in the oil-producing south. The move is in line with a peace accord signed on 23 December between the government and Ntumi's Ninja militia which operated near the capital Brazzaville. A report on the News24 site notes that Interior Ministry spokesperson Seraphin Ondele said Binstsamou ‘has regained all his rights and freedoms to participate in the peace process’. The arrest warrants against Ntumi and two of his lieutenants, which were also lifted, were issued for ‘killings, illegal possession of arms and munitions and destruction of public buildings’.

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