This is on top of ongoing reports of US military personnel effectively providing security for Chinese mining activities already ongoing in that county's mineral-rich provinces.

In Zaire's second city, Lumumbashi, capital of the mineral-rich southeastern province of Shaba, work continued as usual, according to several sources in the private sector reached by telephone.

Reports indicated that the fighting had spread to the mineral-rich southern province of Shaba, where support for the Government is already weak.

Maria Theresa decided to fight for the mineral-rich province.

One of their tasks, it emerged, was to support a breakaway movement in the mineral-rich province of Katanga producing the main Belgian investment.

After independence in 1960, the country immediately faced an army mutiny and an attempt at secession by its mineral-rich province of Katanga.

The bill would allow the mineral-rich province to keep 70 percent of royalties from mining and 80 percent from logging and fishing.

The mineral-rich province of Katanga led the revolt.

Belgium's military intervened to protect its citizens and encourage the mineral-rich province of Katanga, led by the conniving opportunist Moïse Tshombe, to secede.

The agreement, which accords broad autonomy to the mineral-rich province and holds out the possibility of future independence, needs to be approved by two thirds of the Parliament of Papua New Guinea.