Kinshasa - Military forces of the former Congolese president, Mr Denis Sassou Nguesso, have seized the presidential palace in the capital, Brazzaville, according to aides close to Mr Nguesso. The palace had been evacuated by President Pascal Lissouba at the start of the fighting on June 5th. It had previously served as his residence and office.
A Nguesso aide, who would not give his name, speaking by telephone from Brazzaville, across the Congo river from Kinshasa, said Mr Nguesso's Cobra militias had taken control of the palace after artillery and automatic weapons exchanges. President Lissouba's partisans lost control of Maya-Maya airport on Thursday.