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 KINSHASA, Congo (AP) - A runoff election between a president and a powerful rebel warlord climaxed a four-year postwar transition for Congo Sunday, with voters holding onto hope they will soon see the end of a decades-old cycle of war and despotism that has shadowed the heart of Africa.
The voting was largely peaceful, but there was no guarantee the violence was over. Forces loyal to 35-year-old President Joseph Kabila and 44-year-old Jean-Pierre Bemba — a former rebel leader who is now a vice president in a power-sharing government — battled with tanks and heavy weapons in the run-up, and at least two deaths were reported Sunday. Kabila and Bemba have pledged to accept the results of the vote, which were not expected for weeks.
"Our people are still suffering because of insecurity. We live in fear. We hope this vote will make our lives better," said Santos Kambale, a 42-year-old civil servant in the eastern town of Goma.
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