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Congo's opposition leader arrives in the Algarve
• 19 Apr 2007 •
THE Democratic Republic of Congo's former vice-president and defeated presidential candidate Jean-Pierre Bemba has arrived in the Algarve, to receive medical treatment for a leg injury sustained when he fell down stairs last December, the Foreign Ministry has confirmed.
According to Congolese authorities, Bemba was accompanied by his wife and five children when he left Kinshasa on a private Boeing 727. After landing at Faro airport, he went to a villa where he had already spent several holidays. According to TV channel RTP, the villa, located in Quinta do Lago’s luxury resort, is owned by Bemba and is heavily guarded by Portuguese police.
Forty-four-year-old Bemba, who is one of the richest men in his country, with an estimated fortune of several hundred million dollars, was authorised to travel to Portugal ‘as a tourist’ and will not seek political asylum, said Alfredo Duarte, Portugal’s ambassador to Kinshasa. Although it is not clear how long Bemba will remain in the Algarve, Alfredo Duarte said the trip could last several weeks.
A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told TV channel SIC that Portugal wouldn’t oppose Bemba coming for treatment, as long as he agreed not to undertake political activities during his stay. Before travelling to the Algarve, Bemba had been taking refuge at the South African Embassy in Kinshasa, since March 22, after the clashes between his supporters and the government forces which, according to non-governmental organisations, caused at least 200 deaths. |  Return to Top
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