Copyright 1977 Associated Press

The Associated Press

April 14, 1977, AM cycle

LENGTH: 434 words

BYLINE: By MATT FRANJOLA, Associated Press Writer

DATELINE: KINSHASA, Zaire

BODY: President Mobutu Sese Seko claimed Thursday the Russians were responsible for bombing two villages in Zambia, not his own forces as Zambia had claimed.

Last Monday, Zambia said Zairean jets bombed the village of Shingamfungi and a Protestant hospital at Kalene Hill, causing some damage but no injuries.

In a statement released Thursday, Mobutu said "The Russians themselves bombarbed the Zambi*an village to place us in difficulty with our Zambian friends in the hopes of deviating attention of world opinion from their responsibility in the affair of Shaba."

The villages are located in northwestern Zambia within 10 miles of the borders of Angola and Zaire's province of Shaba, which was invaded last month by a 2,000-man force from Marxist Angola. Mobutu claims the Soviets and Cubans masterminded the invasion, but both countries have rejected the charge.

The invaders are believed to be members of the Lunda tribe, which is centered in Shaba.Sources here say the force is believed led by veterans of the army that tried unsuccessfully to withdraw the province, then known as Katanga, from Zaire in the early 1960s.

Zaire's air force has about three dozen planes, including 13 French-built Mirage jetfighters. About six pilots are qualified to fly the sophisticated French jet, diplomats say.

Since the March 8 invastion, France has stepped up delivery of spare parts for the Mirages, some of which have been grounded for lack of parts.

Although the invaders quickly overran a third of the copper-rich province, diplomats say there have been no reports of fighting for nearly 10 days.

In Paris, a spokesman for the Congo National Liberation Front claimed Thursday that the invaders had inflicted a "heavy defeat" on government forces. But diplomatic sources in the Zairean capital could not confirm the report.

The speed with which the invaders captured Zairean territory in the first days of their offensive raised fears they would soon capture the copper-mining center of Kolwezi, which provides Zaire with most of its national income.

Some 1,500 Moroccan troops, supported by French transport planes, have moved into Kolwezi to strengthen the garrison.

Meanwhile, the government announced it was barring reporters from Shaba after the British Broadcasting Corporation BBC aired a report it said bordered on "espionage."

Reporters in Kolwezi would be returning to Kinshasa, the government said. None had arrived by late Thursday.

Last month the government instituted censorship for one day, but reporters objected that the move would harm Zaire's reputation abroad.