KINSHASA (Reuters) - Twelve people died and 4,400 fell sick in southern Democratic Republic of Congo following a tailings leak from the Catoca diamond mine in Angola in July, Congo's environment minister said on Thursday.

       Following a visit to Kasai province, where the Tshikapa river turned red and many fish died, environment minister Eve Bazaiba said Congo would ask for reparations for the damage caused but could not yet say how much it would request.

       (Reporting by Hereward Holland and Helen Reid; Editing by Aaron Ross and Chris Reese)