VARIOUS: NEW PRESIDENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO JOSEPH KABILA HOLDS FIRST TALKS WITH U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL

Record ID: 443021

  • Title: VARIOUS: NEW PRESIDENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO JOSEPH KABILA HOLDS FIRST TALKS WITH U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL
  • Date: 3rd February 2001
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, DC, USA (FEBRUARY 1, 2001) (REUTERS) 1. MV SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL ESCORTS CONGOLESE PRESIDENT JOSEPH KABILA IN FRONT OF STATE DEPARTMENT AND THEY SHAKE HANDS/ MV KABILA AT MICROPHONE (2 SHOTS) 0.18 SOUNDBITE: (English) KABILA SAYING "I said we need to kick-start the Lusaka peace accord." AUDIO (English) REPORTER OFF-CAMERA SAYING: 'And how do you do that Mr. President' SOUNDBITE: (English) KABILA SAYING "Various ways. Renegotiate it." AUDIO (English) REPORTER OFF-CAMERA SAYING 'Are you planning on meeting President Kagame while you're in town.' SOUNDBITE: (English) KABILA SAYING: "No, it's not planned. It's not in my plans." AUDIO (English) REPORTER OFF-CAMERA SAYING 'Will you be willing to meet with him if he were to ask.' SOUNDBITE: (English) KABILA SAYING: "For the sake of peace, yes, why not" AUDIO (English) REPORTER OFF-CAMERA SAYING 'Can you tell us about your meeting with Mr. Powell, if you discussed any ways to kick-start the Lusaka accords.' SOUNDBITE: (English) KABILA SAYING "No, that was not one of the points on the agenda, but like I said the meeting was fruitful. Many things have been said, especially on a bilateral level. The Congo, the United States. What could the U.S.A. do for Congo, and concerning peace." AUDIO (French) REPORTER OFF-CAMERA SAYING 'Did you meet President Kagame. SOUNDBITE: (French) KABILA SAYING "I don't know." 1.18 4. MV KABILA AND ENTOURAGE WALKING TO LIMOUSINE 1.24 KIGALI, RWANDA (MAY 8, 1998) (REUTERS) 5. MV EXTERIOR (STANDING LEFT TO RIGHT) VICE PRESIDENT OF RWANDA (NOW PRESIDENT), PAUL KAGAME, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS, KOFI ANNAN AND PRESIDENT PASTEUR BIZIMUNGU/HANDSHAKES 1.39 6. MV INTERIOR, ANNAN INTRODUCING VICE PRESIDENT PAUL KAGAME TO HIS WIFE NANE 1.48 GRAPHIC (REUTERS) 7. SCU MAP OF CENTRAL AFRICA SHOWING DRC WITH MAIN SUPPORTERS OF THE KABILA REGIME - NAMIBIA/ ANGOLA/ ZIMBABWE - HIGHLIGHTED/ THEN HIGHLIGHTING OF OPPOSITION TO THE REGIME FROM RWANDA AND UGANDA 2.14 KINSHASA, DRC (AUGUST 27, 1998) (POOL MATERIAL) 8. SLV ARMOURED VEHICLES MOVING UP ROAD LOADED WITH SOLDIERS MV SOLDIERS IN STREET (2 SHOTS) 2.28 9. MV MAN SUSPECTED TO BE REBEL BEING THROWN FROM BRIDGE BY SOLDIERS 2.34 10. SLV ANGRY MOB IN STREET/ CHANTING/ HUNTING OUT REBELS (2 SHOTS) 2.47 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 18th February 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: WASHINGTON, DC, USA/ KIGALI, RWANDA/ KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
  • City:
  • Country: USA Zaire United States Democratic Republic of Congo Rwanda
  • Reuters ID: LVA26XH89RNC8UGCD5WW16QWKA2P
  • Story Text: New Congolese President Joseph Kabila has held his
    first talks with the United States since assuming the role of
    his assassinated father, meeting with U.S. Secretary of State
    Colin Powell in the State Department.

    Joseph Kabila denied to reporters on Thursday (February
    1) that he had met with President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, his
    key adversary in the Democratic Republic of Congo's six-nation
    conflict, but a senior State Department official told Reuters
    that in fact the two had met twice during the day. The men
    were introduced at an annual "national prayer breakfast" and
    met later at a Washington hotel, he added.

    The official was speaking shortly after Kabila met
    Secretary of State Powell for his first contact with the
    United States since assuming the role of his father Laurent
    Kabila who was assassinated January 16.

    Kabila said he wanted to kick-start the Lusaka cease-fire
    accord of 1999, which has been repeatedly violated by pro- and
    anti-government forces in the region.

    Kagame's troops have been fighting government forces of
    the Democratic Republic of Congo in a six-nation war, despite
    the 1999 peace accord.

    Their joint presence had sparked hopes they might meet and
    give a new impulse to the 1999 Lusaka accords. Kagame met
    Powell separately on Thursday.

    Powell, the first African-American to hold the post of
    Secretary of State, said earlier the U.S. government had set
    up an inter-agency working group to study the DRC's conflict,
    though he stressed this would be just one of many such
    initiatives.

    Rwanda and Uganda intervened on the side of rebels against
    Laurent Kabila. Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe have intervened
    on the side of the Congolese government.

    The situation in Congo became worse six days ago, when
    fighting broke out between Hema and Lendu pastoralists armed
    with machetes, spears and rifles.

    Kabila stopped in France en route to the United States and
    said he wanted better relations with the U.S. administration.

    The situation in central Africa remains tense with troops
    from Uganda and Rwanda on the DRC's eastern border continually
    straying into Congolese territory, the Rwandan government
    supports anti-government rebels in the region.

    Larger states to the south of the DRC support the
    government. There are fears, however, that Joseph Kabila
    assuming power marks the beginning of a political dynasty
    which will prove hard to shift without bloodshed should the
    rebels try to seize power.

    Laurent Kabila had promised the DRC democratic elections
    for a president in 1999, but they never came. He was murdered
    last month by one of his own bodyguards.

    The region has been marked in recent years by bloodshed
    and deep ethnic divisions. At the height of the troubles mobs
    and troops loyal to Laurent Kabila roamed the streets of
    Kinshasa (capital of the DRC), apparently unchecked, killing
    those who they believed to be disloyal to the regime.

    The state of unrest has been going on for the past 30
    months in the DRC, which is the third biggest state in central
    Africa.
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