President Laurent Kabila declared victory in Congo’s southwestern war front Monday over an army of rebel fighters that just weeks ago appeared poised to capture the capital. Kabila’s cabinet director, Abdoulaye Yerodia, conveyed the president’s message and said the war would now focus on the east, where rebels still control several key cities. Kabila’s announcement came after his Angolan allies captured the last major rebel strongholds in the southwest. Still, pockets of resistance remained, and rebel fighters were believed to be hiding in parts of Kinshasa, the capital. Kinshasa was quiet Monday after days of pitched combat in its suburbs left bodies scattered through the streets and triggered a spree of lynchings. Government troops patrolled streets and searched door-to-door for hidden rebels. A dusk-to-dawn curfew remained in effect.
