(9 Jul 1998) Natural Sound
A large scale offensive by government forces in Guinea Bissau has failed to gain any ground and may have even lost territory to the rebels in the civil war.
Both sides exchanged shell fire on Wednesday, but it appears that the government troops may be losing ground, despite help from Senegalese troops.
The rebel forces are settling in and are prepared to fight a long term war of attrition.
Despite the recent fighting being the heaviest in the civil war so far, the Government forces of President Joao Bernardo Vieira seem to have actually lost ground in their offensive.
Heavy shelling from both sides has greatly damaged the Northern suburbs of the capital, Bissau, from which 300-thousand refugees have fled.
But, despite the heavy pounding, the rebel troops are settling in to their positions and are ready, they say, to fight a long drawn-out war.
Army rebels currently hold the airport to the north of the city and are reported to have MiG fighter planes. These are useless without special batteries, but it is claimed that such batteries have been supplied to the rebel forces, allegedly by Libya.
The rebellion erupted on June 7 after President Vieira sacked the commander of the armed forces, Ansumane Mane, following accusations that senior army officers had been smuggling arms to Senegalese rebels.
The Senegalese Government has been providing troops to the government forces, but they have yet to be effective against the rebels.
SOUNDBITE: (Creole)
"There is absolutely no way they can get through, we'll hit them hard..."
SUPER CAPTION: Captain Jose Amerigo Bubo Na Tchuto, Rebel Frontline Commander
Fleeing Government troops left large amounts of weaponry to the rebels including French made rocket propelled grenades.
The fighting devastated the area, but left no great change in the frontline, which remains as it was on Saturday.
Rebel troops claim that they are able to hold out for as long as it takes.
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