- Title: ZAIRE/UNITED NATIONS: REBELS REFUSE CEASEFIRE CALL
- Date: 5th March 1997
- Summary: KINDU, ZAIRE (MARCH 5, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV PEOPLE IN STREET 0.03 2. SLV PEOPLE IN STREET ZOOM IN TO DAMAGE TO BUILDING CAUSED BY FIGHTING AS REBELS MOVED IN TO TOWN 0.09 3. SCU ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION ON GROUND 0.17 KINDU, ZAIRE (MARCH 6, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 4. SLV LIGHT TANK ABANDONED BY THE EX-FAR (EX-RWANDAN ARMY
- Embargoed: 20th March 1997 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: KINDU AND GOMA, ZAIRE AND UNITED NATIONS
- City:
- Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of
- Reuters ID: LVABMCGN67FW1VCHEFQ3TVNNPK6Z
- Story Text: - INTRO: Zairean rebels refused on Saturday a U.N. call for a ceasefire, standing by their demand for direct negotiations with ailing President Mobutu Sese Seko.
Since launching their rebellion in October to topple Mobutu, the rebels have won control of at least a sixth of Zaire and are poised to assault Kisangani, the capital of the northeast, and its airport, the centre for a failed army counter-offensive.
Popular support for rebels battling the Zaire government is growing, notably in areas looted by retreating Zairean soldiers.
In Kindu, the latest major town seized by rebels in eastern Zaire, youths jammed guerrilla centres on Thursday (March 6) to enlist in the force that has put the Zaire army to flight.
Rebel leader Laurent Kabila said his forces have taken other towns although it was not entirely clear whether his guerillas had arrived there.
Kindu, on the western bank of the Zaire river, is the westernmost town seized by the rebels who have captured a stretch of the east 1,000 km (600 miles) long since October.
Efforts by foreign mercenaries to bolster the ramshackle army of President Mobutu Sese Seko have failed because of poor logistics, training and low morale among troops.
In contrast, rebel ranks have been swollen by thousands of youths from captured areas who scent victory and opportunity with the northwest capital of Kisangani in the rebel sights.
Zaire accuses Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi of invading in support of the rebels. All deny the charge.
One man in Kindu said on Thursday the town was calm after the rebels took over.
In Goma on Friday, rebel Foreign Affairs spokesman Karaha Bizima said the rebel forces want to establish democratic elections but that it would take time.
The rebels thrusting deeper in eastern Zaire rejected the government's call for international monitors to help implement a United Nations (U.N.) truce plan. The government in turn again ruled out negotiations between the ailing Mobutu and Kabila.
Kabila links a truce to such talks, which he says should centre only on negotiating an end to Mobutu's 31-year rule in the Central African nation. Mobutu has been in Europe for cancer treatment for most of the time since last August.
The United Nations (U.N.) Security Council on Friday called on the rebels to declare a ceasefire and accept a five-point U.N.
peace plan, which Kinshasa accepted only under pressure from rebel advances.
United Nations General Secretary Kofi Annan said it was essential to ensure that humanitarian aid can get through to people in need.
But the rebels stood by their demand on Saturday for direct negotiations with ailing President Mobutu and refused the U.N.'s ceasefire call.
With the rebels advancing in the east and south and meeting little resistance from the ramshackle army, more and more people in the vast Central African country now apparently back Kabila.
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