• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=4/19/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-248325
TITLE=CONGO / ACCORD (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=JOHN PITMAN
DATELINE=ABIDJAN
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  CONGOLESE PRESIDENT LAURENT KABILA SAYS AN INTERNATIONAL 
MILITARY OBSERVER MISSION COULD BE IN PLACE ALONG CONGO'S EASTERN
BORDERS WITHIN A MATTER OF DAYS.  THE OBSERVERS WOULD MONITOR THE
WITHDRAWAL OF FOREIGN TROOPS FROM THE CONGO'S NINE-MONTH-OLD 
CIVIL WAR.  MR. KABILA MADE HIS REMARKS IN A BRIEF INTERVIEW WITH
KINSHASA'S STATE TELEVISION NETWORK MONDAY AFTERNOON.  V-O-A'S 
JOHN PITMAN MONITORED THE BROADCAST FROM OUR WEST AFRICA BUREAU, 
AND FILED THIS REPORT.
TEXT:  AFTER POSTPONING A MAJOR NATIONAL ADDRESS FOR 24 HOURS 
BECAUSE OF FATIGUE, PRESIDENT KABILA SAT DOWN WITH THE STATE 
TELEVISION NETWORK ON MONDAY AFTERNOON TO PROVIDE THE FIRST 
DETAILS ABOUT THE PEACE AGREEMENT HE SIGNED ON SUNDAY IN LIBYA 
WITH UGANDAN PRESIDENT YOWERI MUSEVENI.
MR. KABILA SAID HIS MEETING WITH PRESIDENT MUSEVENI HAD BEEN A 
SUCCESS.  HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH THE UGANDAN LEADER WERE, IN HIS 
WORDS, "SERIOUS."
DURING THE 10 MINUTE INTERVIEW, CONGOLESE STATE TELEVISION 
BROADCAST SEVERAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE TWO PRESIDENTS SMILING AND 
SHAKING HANDS.
// OPT //  LIBYAN LEADER MUAMMAR GADDAFI HOSTED THE MINI-SUMMIT 
BETWEEN THE CONGOLESE AND UGANDAN LEADERS DURING THE WEEKEND IN 
THE LIBYAN TOWN OF SIRTE, 450 KILOMETERS EAST OF TRIPOLI.  THE 
PRESIDENTS OF CHAD AND ERITREA ALSO TOOK PART IN THE SUMMIT.  
CHAD CURRENTLY HAS TROOPS IN THE CONGO SUPPORTING PRESIDENT 
KABILA.  // END OPT //
THE PEACE AGREEMENT CALLS FOR A CEASE-FIRE AND WITHDRAWAL OF ALL 
FOREIGN TROOPS FROM THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO.  CURRENTLY,
HALF A DOZEN COUNTRIES HAVE SOLDIERS IN THE CONGO, EITHER 
SUPPORTING THE REBELLION IN EASTERN CONGO, OR FIGHTING ALONGSIDE 
PRESIDENT KABILA'S ARMY.
ACCORDING TO MR. KABILA, PRESIDENT MUSEVENI SAID HE WAS READY TO 
BEGIN PULLING UGANDAN TROOPS OUT OF THE CONGO -- ALTHOUGH HE ALSO
EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE CONTINUING PRESENCE OF HUTU REBELS IN
THE BORDER ZONE.
ON MONDAY, PRESIDENT KABILA SAID A TEAM OF MILITARY OBSERVERS 
FROM LIBYA AND ERITREA COULD BEGIN DEPLOYING ALONG CONGO'S 
EASTERN BORDER WITH UGANDA WITHIN 15 DAYS, TO MONITOR THE UGANDAN
PULL-OUT.
IT REMAINS UNCLEAR IF THE LIBYAN AND ERITREAN OBSERVERS WILL ALSO
EVENTUALLY WORK IN AREAS ALONG CONGO'S BORDER WITH RWANDA.  THE 
RWANDAN GOVERNMENT IS THE REBELLION'S PRINCIPAL FOREIGN 
SUPPORTER.  FOR THEIR PART, BOTH RWANDA AND THE REBELS HAVE 
DISMISSED THE ACCORD SIGNED IN LIBYA, SAYING IT IS  NOT  BINDING,
SINCE THEY WERE  NOT  PART OF THE NEGOTIATIONS.
PRESIDENT KABILA SAYS ANOTHER MEETING OF REGIONAL LEADERS WILL BE
HELD IN THE COMING DAYS TO NEGOTIATE WHAT HE CALLS "A DEFINITIVE"
PEACE WITH THE WAR'S OTHER PROTAGONISTS, WHO WERE  NOT  IN LIBYA.
MR. KABILA ADDS, HOWEVER, THAT WHILE HIS GOVERNMENT IS PREPARED 
TO TALK PEACE, IT WILL ALSO CONTINUE THE WAR AGAINST THE REBELS 
AND THEIR FOREIGN BACKERS.  THE IMPORTANT THING, HE SAYS, IS TO 
FORCE THE AGGRESSORS OUT OF THE CONGO.
                        /// REST OPT ///
MR. KABILA'S PLEDGE TO TALK PEACE WHILE CONTINUING THE WAR COMES 
AS HIS GOVERNMENT PREPARES TO HOLD WHAT IS BEING CALLED A 
"NATIONAL DEBATE" LATER THIS MONTH, IN ITALY.  THE DEBATE IS 
SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN ROME ON APRIL 30TH, AND CONTINUE A WEEK 
LATER IN KENYA.  ALL OF THE CONGO'S WARRING FACTIONS ARE EXPECTED
TO ATTEND.   (SIGNED)
NEB/JP/WTW
19-Apr-99 5:03 PM EDT (2103 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.