- Title: ZAIRE/CONGO: ARCHBISHOP MONSENGWO ARRIVES IN KINSHASA THE ZAIREAN CAPITAL
- Date: 12th May 1997
- Summary: KINSHASA, ZAIRE (MAY 12, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV SOLDIERS OF ZAIREAN GOVERNMENT SPECIAL FORCES MARCHING/ CHANTING (3 SHOTS) 0.21 2. CU NEWSPAPER HEADLINES SAYING BISHOP MONSIGNOR MONSENGWO ACCEPTS ROLE OF TRANSITIONAL FIGURE 0.31 3. SV ZAIREANS READING NEWSPAPERS 0.40 4. SV NEWSPAPER HEADLINE SAYING THAT MONSENGWO REFUSES TO BUCKLE (TO TAKE THE JOB) 0.46 5. SCU UNIDENTIFIED MAN SAYING WE HAVE ONE REGRET: THAT REBEL LEADER (LAURENT) KABILA HAS NOT ACCEPTED THE APPOINTMENT OF THE ARCHIBISHOP MONSENGWO AS HEAD OF PARLIAMENT IT SEEMS THAT KABILA WANTS TO GRAB POWER FROM (ZAIRE . PRESIDENT) MOBUTU DIRECTLY" (FRENCH) 1.05 6. SCU MAN SAYING THE ARCHIBISHOP SHOULD STICK TO RUNNING THE CHURCH IN ZAIRE AND SHOULD NOT GET INVOLVED IN POLITICS" (FRENCH) 1.26 7. SLV STREET SCENES 1.39 NEAR BRAZZAVILLE, CONGO (MAY 12, 1997) (RTV (W) - ACCESS ALL) 8. GV AIRBORNE PLANE 1.41 9. GV FRENCH PARATROOPERS JUMPING 1.50 10.SLV FRENCH PARATROOPERS 1.52 11.SCU FRENCH PARATROOPER LOOKING THROUGH BINOCULARS 1.58 12.SLV FRENCH PARATROOPERS/PACKING UP PARACHUTE 2.14 13.SLV ENGLISH PARATROOPERS 2.29 14.SCU FRENCH MILITARY SPOKESMAN CAPTAIN ALEXIS JARAUD SAYING THAT THE JUMP IS NOT SPECIFICALLY IN PREPARATION FOR AN EVENTUAL EVACUATION BUT IT IS NECESSARY FOR THEM TO JUMP REGULARLY FOR TRAINING (FRENCH) 2.39 15.SLV PARACHUTISTS LANDING (3 SHOTS) 2.57 16.SLV LOCAL CHILDREN WATCHING 3.00 Initials S3 P3 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 27th May 1997 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BRAZZAVILLE, CONGO/KINSHASA, ZAIRE
- City:
- Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of
- Reuters ID: LVA8Z053E10NU3P5MLH8PT59V4ZI
- Story Text: INTRO: Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo, tipped by some as a key player in any political settlement to Zaire's civil war, has arrived in the capital Kinshasa as European troops continued to stage military exercises in neighbouring Congo.
Archbishop Monsengwo arrived in the Zairean capital Kinshasa on Monday (May 12) after leaving Congo's capital Brazzaville amid speculation that he could be the nation's last hope for peace.
As news of his arrival filtered down to the streets of Kinshasa, local newspapers carried front pages stories about the latest development. One newspaper said that Mosengwo had accepted the role as a transitional figure while others said that he would decline to accept the position.
One man said that it was a pity that rebel leader Laurent Kabila had not accepted the archbishop's role while another said that the archbishop himself should stick to church matters.
The archbishop was elected to his old post as speaker of Zaire's transitional parliament by supporters of ailing and embattled President Mobutu Sese Seko at the weekend. However, he has not yet said he will take the job.
Laurent Kabila's rebel alliance, whose troops were last reported to be 200 km (125 miles) from Kinshasa, said they would attack the city if Monsengwo accepted the position.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Congo, more than one hundred French, Belgian and British paratroopers continued to stage exercises on Monday as speculation mounted over an evacuation of foreigners from Kinshasa.
A French military spokesman, Captain Alexis Jaraud, said that the jump was not directly related to evacuation plans. He said it was part of regular training for paratroopers wherever they are based.
Most of those involved in Monday's joint exercise were from the French Eighth Parachute Infantry Regiment, which is normally based near the town Castres, near Toulouse.
Troops from a number of countries have been staging manouevres in Congo in prepaparation for a proposed evacuation.
On Monday, meanwhile, Kabila's rebels said they were advancing towards Kinshasa and expected to take the city in "the next few days".
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