ZAMBIA/CONGO: CONGO PEACE DEAL LATEST

(11 Jul 1999) English/Nat

Defiant Congolese rebels insisted on Sunday they will battle on despite the signing by six nations of a long-awaited peace accord to end the fighting in Congo's civil war.

The agreement was signed on Saturday by Congo's government and the five neighboring countries which have been drawn into the fight.

But the rebels were excluded from the historic deal after inter-faction squabbling prevented them from coming to the table.

The headlines of morning papers around Africa announced the news of the historic signing which all involved hoped would signify the end of one of Africa's biggest conflicts.

Despite the fact that rebel groups had not signed the agreement Zambia's President Frederick Chiluba, who mediated the discussions which lead to the signing, sounded upbeat when discussing the significance of the deal.

He said that the Congolese problem was both an internal and external one and that with the signing of the agreement one of the difficulties had been solved.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Therefore we have what we call belligerent nations, assisting one side or another. These are the nations which yesterday very willingly signed this agreement. And the importance of the signing is that they will not abate war, they will not assist those who will be engaged in fighting . And therefore with them staying away from that activity or assistance we are hopeful that hostilities will cease and that observance of the agreement will begin to follow."
SUPER CAPTION: Frederick Chiluba, Zambian President

The exclusion of three rebel groups from the signing came after one faction refused to participate if the leader of another splinter group was allowed to sign.

The agreement called for a truce to start within 24 hours and for a joint military commission to administer the plan and oversee a ceasefire between all parties.

But on Sunday the rebel groups announced they are not bound by the agreement and vowed to fight on.

Chiluba said he hoped the situation would be resolved soon.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Let me hasten to say before I do anything that this is the work of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence and the rebel groups. Their input from start to finish is recorded here. Nobody, no one at all has got any argument with this paper. As I said the signing difficulty within the R-S-C-D emanates from the leadership problems which they have within which I hope can be resolved as quickly as possible."
SUPER CAPTION: Frederick Chiluba, Zambian President

Laurent Kabila came to power on a wave of optimism after his rebel forces had defeated the unpopular president Mobutu Sese Seko who had been in power for 32 years.

On May, 17 1997 his supporters marched into the capital of the country which was then known as Zaire.

Mobutu had already gone into exile.

He was sworn in as president on May 29 1997 but soon the Democratic Republic of Congo was embroiled in another civil war.

Rebels from Rwanda and Uganda have accused Congolese President Laurent Kabila of corruption, mismanagement and warmongering while Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola have backed Kabila.

Fighting between troops loyal to Kabila and the rebels, backed by other countries in the region, even reached the capital, Kinshasa.

Many rebels have been taken prisoner, while others have not been so lucky.

The Congo conflict has threatened economic and social stability throughout Central Africa and displaced tens of thousands of Congolese.

Chiluba took the opportunity to slam the record of the United Nations on their handling of refugees in Africa.

SOUNDBITE: (English)



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