July 2001 Africa News Headlines

Wednesday, July 11, 2001 - Web posted at 1:02:14 PM GMT

Congo facilitator wants OAU to agree troop pullout

LUSAKA - Former Botswana President Ketumile Masire called on Wednesday for an urgent summit of countries involved in the Democratic Republic of Congo to agree a pull-out of their armies.

Masire, a peace facilitator in the former Zaire, told a news conference in Lusaka that little progress could be achieved in national all-party talks on the country's political future until it was free of foreign troops.

"The presidents should urgently meet and work out a strategy of withdrawal so that there is no suspicion that if one group leaves, perhaps the others will then refuse," said Masire.

Masire who has been mandated by regional leaders to facilitate internal dialogue amongst Congolese parties and rebel groups, is in Zambia for a summit of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which will be replaced by an African Union (AU).

"I think that the area of responsibility to which I am charged cannot make progress until foreign armies leave the Congo," he added.

The armies of Zimbabwe, Angola and Namibia are in the Congo backing the government of President Joseph Kabila against an eastern Congo-based rebellion that has the backing of Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda.

Masire said the problem of disarming and demobilising a cocktail of militia active in the Congo would also be discussed under his all-party talks.

Masire said a preparatory meeting on Congo's future, due to have been held in the Botswana capital of Gaborone on July 16, had now been put back to August 20.

Masire praised Congo President Joseph Kabila's efforts to end the Congo conflict but suggested that some of the rebel groups were dragging their feet and delaying the peace process.

Kabila met his foe, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, in Lusaka on Monday as part of a process of confidence building and then Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on a strategy for resolving the conflict. Nampa-Reuters

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