VOA常速英语2007年-DRC Army Takes Back Rebel-Controlled Town

By Selah Hennessy
Goma
05 December 2007

Army leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo say they have taken back the strategic eastern village of Mushake from forces allied¹ to renegade rebel leader Laurent Nkunda.  The army says it will move north into rebel territory in an effort to eradicate² Nkunda's forces. Selah Hennessy files this report for VOA from Goma.

Colonel Delphin Kahimbi is the second-in-command of the army in eastern Congo's North Kivu Province.

Speaking from the grassy³ hills of Mushake and surrounded by his soldiers, he says army troops are pushing the rebels north.

"From 9:30 the government army took control of Mushake and right now the fight is going in the direction of Kirorirwe," he said.

Army troops and rebel fighters led by renegade general Laurent Nkunda, have clashed in a number of skirmishes since August.

Government forces launched its latest offensive against rebel fighters on Monday, bombarding rebel positions around Mushake with attack helicopters, rockets, and artillery⁴.

Colonel Kahimbi says Mushake is a strategically important location.  He says rebel control of the town, which stands on the main road leading out of Goma, has blocked access to parts of the province for several months.

"We are in the main road which is going from Goma to Massissi center," he added.  "So why Mushake was a very big strategic area, well you can see we were controlling one part from Goma to the door of Mushake, then one part from Massissi to Mushake."

Kahimbi says the army is using its maximum power to rout⁵ out the rebel forces.  He says reinforcements will be arriving in the region soon and fighting will continue until the rebel forces are defeated or agree to rejoin the national army.

But some observers are skeptical⁶, pointing out that the Congolese army is undisciplined and under-equipped and has a long way to go before defeating rebel forces.

Meanwhile, fighting continued on the outskirts⁷ of Mushake long into the afternoon.

Truckloads of armed soldiers made their way to the front, lumbering⁸ along a winding⁹ dirt road that cuts through the green hills.

But as combat moves north, people in Sake, a nearby town that was deserted¹⁰ Tuesday, were returning to their homes.

1 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

2 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

3 grassy   

adj.盖满草的；长满草的

参考例句：

• They sat and had their lunch on a grassy hillside.他们坐在长满草的山坡上吃午饭。
• Cattle move freely across the grassy plain.牛群自由自在地走过草原。

4 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

5 rout   

n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮

参考例句：

• The enemy was put to rout all along the line.敌人已全线崩溃。
• The people's army put all to rout wherever they went.人民军队所向披靡。

6 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

7 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

8 lumbering   

n.采伐林木

参考例句：

• Lumbering and, later, paper-making were carried out in smaller cities. 木材业和后来的造纸都由较小的城市经营。
• Lumbering is very important in some underdeveloped countries. 在一些不发达的国家，伐木业十分重要。

9 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

10 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。