ZAMBIA: NEW PRESIDENT OF DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO JOSEPH KABILA ACCEPTS FORMER BOTSWANA LEADER AS FACILITATOR TOWARDS NEW PEACE DEAL

Record ID: 442993

  • Title: ZAMBIA: NEW PRESIDENT OF DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO JOSEPH KABILA ACCEPTS FORMER BOTSWANA LEADER AS FACILITATOR TOWARDS NEW PEACE DEAL
  • Date: 17th February 2001
  • Summary: LUSAKA, ZAMBIA (FEBRUARY 15, 2001) (REUTERS) 1. MV SUMMIT DELEGATES ENTERING BRIEFING, SITTING DOWN 0.23 2. SCU DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO PRESIDENT JOSPEH KABILA SEATED 0.26 3. SCU ZAMBIAN PRESIDENT FREDERICK CHILUBA SEATED WITH ZIMBABWE PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE 0.31 4. SCU NAMIBIA DELEGATE 0.36 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) KABILA "In order for us to accelerate the peace process, I will in the next few days be inviting the former president of Botswana, Sir Ketumile Masire, to discuss the modalities of relaunching the inter-Congolese dialogue that has been stalled." 1.20 6. SCU DELEGATES CLAPPPING 1.24 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MUGABE "Zimbabwe stands for peace, and peace means the absence of war. Peace means the withdrawal of forces. We are ready to withdraw our forces in the context of peace coming to the Congo. If others are as committed as we are, peace will come. And so we pray that peace will come to the Congo, Zimbabwe will assist that process. I thank you" 2.07 8. SCU KABILA LOOKING ON; SV PAN DELEGATES WATCHING (2 SHOTS) 2.23 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 4th March 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LUSAKA, ZAMBIA
  • Country: Zambia
  • Reuters ID: LVA7ORXUOTMDCAQ5GUND73O1TL2J
  • Story Text: The new president of the Democratic Republic of Congo,
    Joseph Kabila, has accepted the former Botswana leader as
    facilitator towards a new all-inclusive peace deal for his
    country.

    Kabila announced the move on Thursday (February 15), at
    a summit meeting in Lusaka aimed at reviving the stalled peace
    process in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    But analysts said the absence from the Lusaka meeting of
    the leaders of Rwanda and Uganda, who back Congo's rebel
    groups, meant little immediate headway towards ending the
    fighting was likely.

    In a significant step forward, Kabila reversed his
    assassinated father's policy and accepted former Botswanan
    leader Ketumile Masire as facilitator for an all-inclusive
    peace deal.

    "In order for us to accelerate the peace process, I will
    in the next few days be inviting the former president of
    Botswana, Sir Ketumile Masire, to discuss the modalities of
    relaunching the inter-Congolese dialogue that has been
    stalled," Joseph Kabila told the summit.

    Diplomats said the move by Kabila to invite back Masire
    marked a giant step towards reviving the fragile peace
    agreement signed in Zambia in 1999.

    Belligerents in the 30-month-old war signed the Lusaka
    agreement but its implementation failed to take off because
    the government in Kinshasa would not allow the deployment of
    U.N. peacekeepers.

    But the Zambian President Frederick Chiluba, mediator in
    the Congolese conflict, announced on Thursday that the United
    Nations would begin deploying a long-delayed peacekeeping
    force on February 26.

    U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the U.N. force to
    Congo would comprise 500 military observers protected by close
    to 2,500 troops -- fewer than the 5,037 troops authorised a
    year ago.

    The U.N. currently has only about 200 military personnel
    in Africa's third largest country.

    Kabila had held informal talks with Zimbabwe President
    Robert Mugabe and Chiluba before Thursday's formal opening of
    the Lusaka summit, Zambian Foreign Ministry officials said.

    Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola support the Congo government
    against the 30-month rebellion from eastern Congo that is
    backed by Uganda and Rwanda.

    Mugabe set a hard tone for the summit, telling reporters
    "aggressors" Rwanda and Uganda must pull their armies out of
    the Congo before progress can be made towards peace.

    Mugabe added that while he wanted to accelerate the search
    for peace, Rwanda and Uganda posed a security threat and he
    was obliged to support Congo's government.

    " Zimbabwe stands for peace, and peace means the absence of
    war. Peace means the withdrawal of forces. We are ready to
    withdraw our forces in the context of peace coming to the
    Congo. If others are as committed as we are, peace will come.

    And so we pray that peace will come to the Congo, Zimbabwe
    will assist that process," Mugabe said.

    Rwanda and Uganda have thousands of troops occupying large
    swathes of the Congo, backing different rebel groups opposed
    to the government in Kinshasa.

    Rwandan military leader Paul Kagame and Ugandan leader
    Yoweri Museveni both declined to attend the summit, raising
    doubt about any hopes of significant progress.

    Museveni is staying at home to campaign for presidential
    elections, while Rwanda has accused Chiluba of bias in his
    mediation role. It insists it is not prepared to pull out of
    the Congo because of security concerns, the reason it gave for
    entering the conflict.


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