BELGIUM: Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila meets with Belgian Prime Minister, holds talks on refugees and border issues

Record ID: 455189

  • Title: BELGIUM: Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila meets with Belgian Prime Minister, holds talks on refugees and border issues
  • Date: 24th September 2007
  • Summary: (AD1) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (SEPTEMBER 24, 2007) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF OFFICE OF BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER
  • Embargoed: 9th October 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • Country: Belgium
  • Reuters ID: LVA6UE0GAHN77WJJCPMEK684O9HZ
  • Story Text: The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo Joseph Kabila met with top Belgian politicians on his way to New York for the United Nations general assembly. The African leader discussed help to refugees and border issues.
    Joseph Kabila, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) met on Monday (September 24) with Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt (pronounce Ferhofchtaat), Belgian Foreign Affairs minister Karel de Gucht (pronounce Guusht) and Defence Minister Andre Flahaut.
    Belgium has offered to send experts to settle the border dispute between Uganda and the DRC and to help facilitate the return of refugees to Eastern Congo, the Prime Minister's office said. The experts would help to define the layout of the border and encourage discussions between the two sides.
    Created by colonial powers, the borders around Lake Albert which straddle both countries have been a source of tension between the two countries, The lake is a frontier in the hunt for African oil, with Heritage Oil and Tullow Oil both drilling in concessions around the Albertine basin.
    Kinshasa says they are prospecting illegally in its waters.
    Relations between the two countries have been fraught for years and Uganda has twice invaded Congo. Kampala has said those incursions were to flush out Ugandan rebels. The second invasion sparked a 1998-2003 war that drew in five other countries, and Uganda regularly threatens to re-invade its much larger neighbour.
    Belgium also plan to send a high level mission with delegates from the ministers of foreign affairs, economy, energy and development aid and representatives of the private sector to increase Belgian investments in the African country.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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