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Wednesday, July 24, 2002 - Web posted at 8:42:36 am GMT

ADDIS ABABA, July 24 (AFP) - The newly-created African Union on Wednesday hailed a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as an "important step" in the search for a durable solution to the conflict.

A statement from Amara Essy, the African Union's interim committee leader, said the agreement, signed on Monday in the South African capital Pretoria, would also help promote stability and security in Africa's Great Lakes region, which includes Rwanda and the east of the DRC.

The AU statement encouraged the two countries to "go on to show the same political will in pushing through the current negotiations and normalizing their relations."

Rwanda has some 20,000 troops in the east of the DRC, and supports a rebel group in the region.

Monday's agreement provided for the withdrawal of the Rwandan forces in exchange for a commitment from the DRC government to round up mainly Hutu Rwandan rebels on its territory -- who are blamed for the genocidal killings in Rwanda in 1994 -- end to guarantee security along the Rwandan border.

The African Union replaced the Organization of African Unity as the continent's biggest multinational body at a summit held in South Africa earlier this month. Like the OAU, it has its headquarters in Addis Ababa. - Nampa-AFP

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