- Title: DRC/RWANDA: BRITISH AND FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTERS ARRIVE ON PEACE VISIT.
- Date: 23rd January 2002
- Summary: (W6) KIGALI, RWANDA (JANUARY 22, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV/MV: PLANE ARRIVING WITH JACK STRAW AND HUBERT VEDRINE, BRITISH AND FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTERS RESPECTIVELY/ VEDRINE AND STRAW DISEMBARK AND ARE MET BY RWANDAN OFFICIALS (2 SHOTS) 0.17 (W6) KINSHASA, DRC (JANUARY 21, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 2. GV/MV: DRC PRESIDENT, JOSE
- Embargoed: 7th February 2002 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: KINSHASA, DRC / KIGALI, RWANDA
- City:
- Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of
- Reuters ID: LVAEKV6GGLQAX7JSTRXEO0J7I3Q2
- Story Text: The foreign ministers of former colonial rivals Britain
and France have made flying visits to Rwanda and Burundi on a
tour to push for peace in Africa's war-torn Great Lakes
region.
Straw and his French counterpart Hubert Vedrine began
their tour in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday
(January 21) with talks overshadowed by a deadly volcanic
eruption in the Congolese town of Goma, on the Rwandan border.
"These meetings represent an important commitment by France
and the United Kingdom to intensify our work to secure a
peaceful solution to the conflict in this region," Britain's
Jack Straw told a news conference in the Rwandan capital
Kigali before flying on to Bujumbura.
Straw and Vedrine did not visit Goma, where dozens were
killed by the eruption, although they brought vulcanologists
with them who will help local authorities with the disaster.
Rwanda, a participant in Congo's complex three-year-old
war, backs rebels fighting the government in Kinshasa, which
is propped up by Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola.
After talks with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Straw and
Vedrine were expected to meet President Pierre Buyoya in
Bujumbura, before moving on to Uganda later on Tuesday
(January 22).
Burundi and Uganda also back rebels against the Kinshasa
government. About two million people have died in Congo,
mainly of starvation and disease, during the conflict.
Both Uganda and Rwanda have been accused by a U.N.
experts' report of exploiting the turmoil of war to plunder
the Congo of its minerals and timber. Both deny the charges.
Straw said the international community including France
and Britain should make what he called a fuller response to
the allegations of plundering.
Congo's peace process, which appeared to gain momentum
when Joseph Kabila took over from his murdered father in
January 2001, has been bogged down by the entrenched positions
of the combatants as well as a lack of funding.
Vedrine said Congo President Kabila had told them on
Monday that he was committed to securing the repatriation to
Rwanda of Rwandan Hutu fighters who are fighting for him in
Congo against Rwandan forces and Rwandan-backed rebels.
The Hutu fighters include members of extremist Hutu armed
gangs responsible for the Rwandan genocide of 800,000 minority
Tutsi and moderate Hutus in 1994.
Vedrine added: "President Kagame has told us that the sole
reason for the presence of Rwandan armed forces in the
Democratic Republic of Congo is the security of Rwanda. So by
using this, I think we can unblock the situation.
"We are trying to focus on what each of them can bring to
unblock the situation."
The next Congolese peace talks are due in South Africa in
mid-February but analysts fear talks could be delayed by the
eruption in Goma, a stronghold of one of the main
Rwandan-backed rebel groups.
Before leaving London, Straw said he and Vedrine would
push for the withdrawal of foreign troops from the Congo and
demobilisation of rebels and militias and try to find ways of
kick-starting peace talks to involve all parties.
The joint visit by two of the European powers who carved
up the continent in the 19th century is the second by their
foreign ministers since France and Britain agreed in 1998 to
bury their historic rivalry and work together to support
Africa.
(zd/rb)
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