Funerals of Brazzaville blast victims dominate Congolese press

Brazzaville, Congo (PANA) - Congolese newspapers published this week were dominated by last Sunday's funeral of 145 of the 223 victims of the 4 March ammunition depot blast in northeast Brazzaville.

The Catholic weekly La Semaine Africaine, said "it would be inconceivable, inexplicable and even simply nonsense, to believe that after the tragedy of Mpila, national life could return to normal as if nothing had happened".

"The carnage of Mpila, even though it occurred accidentally, makes it obligatory for the government to face its responsibilities, not only to bury their dead, but to make sure that this will never happen again," the weekly said.

TAM-TAM d’Afrique said "the victims were buried in graves specially dug at a place next to the site where the 48 Congolese victims of the attack on a DC 10 plane operated by the French airline UTA on 19 September, 1989 rest".

Other dailies reporting on the burial ceremony were the weekly Le Patriote and the government daily Les Dépêches de Brazzaville.

For the government weekly La Nouvelle République, "what is ultimately important is the commitment by the Congolese government to find lasting and effective solutions to the plight of the victims".

"There should also be commitments to prevent this kind of disaster from happening again," the weekly added.
-0- PANA MB/JSG/JEN 17March2012