Nobody was injured in a rocket attack on the Spanish Embassy in Kinshasa yesterday. Diplomatic staff, including Spain's ambassador to the Republic of Congo, Miguel Fernández Palacios, were evacuated by Uruguyan UN troops in tanks in the middle of a fire-fight between forces loyal to former vice-president, Jean-Pierre Bemba (archive photo), and government troops.

A Spanish Foreign Affairs ministry spokesman said that the around 100 Spanish nationals still remaining in Kinshasa are safe and well despite yesterday's resumption of hostilities following two months of relative calm.

Former rebel leader, Bemba, who retains the loyal support of a private army of thousands, was defeated in the elections held on the 29th October last year by incumbent president, Joseph Kabila, who first came to power after democratic elections held on the 26th January 2001.

After achieveing independence from Belgium on the 30th June 1960, the country has been ravaged by four decades of civil war, dictatorships and coups d'état.