LONDON, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The British government said Monday it was advising against all travel to the Republic of Congo because of reports of heavy fighting in the capital city.
"Due to reports of fighting in Brazzaville you should stay at home and avoid movement unless necessary," the warning said.
Radio France Internationale reports the situation in downtown Brazzaville is tense Monday. Armed groups loyal to former Col. Marcel Ntsourou are engaged in fighting with military forces.
Ntsourou was sentenced in September to five years hard labor for his role in a March 2012 explosion at an army depot, which left nearly 300 people dead.
The blast was felt across the river in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, roughly 3 miles away.
"There is no British Embassy in the Republic of Congo and the level of consular assistance the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can offer to British nationals is limited," the British government said.
The British government said it was monitoring the situation in the Republic of Congo from its embassy in DRC.
