The Democratic Republic of Congo's(DRC) President Joseph Kabila has announced the formation of the new government that has been awaited since Dec. 30, 2006, when Antoine Gizenga was nominated prime minister.

The new government has 60 members including 38 ministers, 20 deputy ministers and two ministers of state.

According to the list, Mobutu Nzanga has been named minister of state in charge of agriculture while Denis Kalume will be interior minister. Mbusa Nyamwisi will be the foreign minister. Chikez Diemu, former member of parliament, has been named the defense minister.

Gizenga has made a series of consultations on the composition of the new government with members of the Alliance for Presidential Majority (AMP). The formation of the new government has been postponed several times.

Meanwhile, the UN mission in the DRC, known by its French acronym as Monuc, said that 134 people died and dozens injured on Jan. 31 and Feb.1 in clashes between police and local religious group "Bundu dia Kongo."

Clashes erupted when demonstrators protesting alleged electoral fraud, led by Bundu dia Kongo, rampaged through several towns and security forces tried to restore order. Violence spread to at least five towns in Bas-Congo, including Matadi, Boma, Kasangulu, Kinzaomvwete and Moanda.

According to a military spokesman of the UN mission, Monuc on Wednesday asked the Congolese government to seek a peaceful resolution to the crisis, and sent a group in charge of humanitarian issues to probe into the clashes in Bas-Congo.

The mission has built a military base in Moanda and deployed 300 peacekeepers in Matadi, the official said.

Last Saturday, DRC's Interior Minister Denis Kalume told media that violence escalated between the police and members of Bundu dia Kongo at Matadi last Wednesday, following police's thorough search.

Founded in 1969, Bunda dia Kongo is a religious movement which is aimed at contributing to the salvation and restructuring of Africa. However, the sect has transformed itself into a political-religious movement in recent years.

The group currently supports former Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba, who won a senatorial seat last month.

Bemba's militia clashed with President Joseph Kabila's forces twice last year, as results were announced in the initial presidential vote and the runoff in Congo's first free elections for a head of state.

(Xinhua News Agency February 8, 2007)