The Congo: Imports of Trouble

Down a road in the rebel-infested northern Congo rolled a truckload of mercenaries led by three armored Jeeps. Suddenly the underbrush exploded with the fire of automatic weapons. Not a bullet was wasted on the Jeeps, but the Simbas, suddenly battlewise and well armed, riddled the truck, killing one of its nine occupants and wounding six others. Almost overnight, the spear-bearing rebel warriors had become better armed, better trained, and much more dangerous. "Every Simba in the north seems to have a new gun now," said a mercenary sergeant from Paulis. "We're...

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