2007年VOA标准英语-DRC Opposition Leader Awaits Approval for Medic

By Kari Barber
Dakar
01 April 2007

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Congo troops sit on a tank in front of the house of ex-rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba in Kinshasa, Congo, 24 Mar 2007

Portuguese² authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo confirm an agreement has been reached to allow Congolese opposition³ leader Jean Pierre Bemba, wanted on charges of treason, to travel to Portugal for medical treatment. Bemba, who has been in the South African Embassy since fighting erupted between his guards and the army last month, is awaiting formal approval of the Congolese government. Kari Barber reports from Dakar that some worry Bemba's leaving the country could create a power vacancy⁴ in the nation.

A proposed deal reached between Bemba and Congolese and Portuguese authorities would allow Bemba to travel to Portugal for treatment of a fractured leg sustained months ago in a fall. According to Portuguese diplomats⁵ Bemba would not be allowed to participate in politics during his stay.

But there have been reports of disagreements in the Congolese government over whether to allow this to take place. Bemba is being charged with treason after his refusal to disarm⁶ his private militia⁷ led to two days of fighting that left scores of people dead.

Congolese human rights activist⁸ Rostin Manketa says he wants the government to permit Bemba to leave, but hopes he will come back.

"It is good for him to go abroad and have medical treatment," said Manketa. "This is a humanitarian⁹ case I think. Maybe the government is afraid of his going abroad. Maybe they do not know what he could try to plan and so on."

Portuguese authorities have said they will not be offering Bemba asylum¹⁰, but only a short medical stay.

Democratic Republic of Congo anlayst, Muzong Kodi, with London-based Chatham House says he worries that the government will take advantage of Bemba's absence to cripple the opposition.

"It is going to mark the end of the opposition that everybody hoped would develop and play a positive role in monitoring the government's activities," said Kodi.

President Joseph Kabila defeated Bemba in the presidential race last year and tensions have been high since.

Congolese government troops ransacked¹¹ the offices of Bemba's party on Thursday according to reports. Television and radio stations owned by Bemba were housed in the facility.

Kodi says he fears this is the end of hopes that Mr. Kabila and Bemba, a senator, could come to terms with sharing power and working in a government together.

"After all of this it is very difficult to imagine that Mr. Kabila and Mr. Bemba would be able to sit at the table and discuss any matters," he added.

The fighting in March was the most violence the capital, Kinshasa, has seen since battles between Mr. Kabila's and Bemba's militias¹² during the presidential elections last year.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 Portuguese   

n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语

参考例句：

• They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。

3 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 vacancy   

n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺

参考例句：

• Her going on maternity leave will create a temporary vacancy.她休产假时将会有一个临时空缺。
• The vacancy of her expression made me doubt if she was listening.她茫然的神情让我怀疑她是否在听。

5 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 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。

7 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

8 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

9 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

10 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

11 ransacked   

v.彻底搜查( ransack的过去式和过去分词 )；抢劫，掠夺

参考例句：

• The house had been ransacked by burglars. 这房子遭到了盗贼的洗劫。
• The house had been ransacked of all that was worth anything. 屋子里所有值钱的东西都被抢去了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

12 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