DATE=5/17/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-249492
TITLE=CONGO ANNIVERSARY UPDATE (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=JOHN PITMAN
DATELINE=KINSHASA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO : IN THE DEMOCRACTIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, PRESIDENT
LAURENT KABILA MARKED HIS SECOND ANNIVERSARY IN POWER WITH A
SPEECH CALLING FOR A GENERAL MOBILIZATION AGAINST THE REBELLION
WHICH HAS CAPTURED ALMOST HALF OF THE COUNTRY. AS V-O-A'S JOHN
PITTMAN REPORTS FROM THE CONGOLESE CAPITAL, KINSHASA, MR. KABILA
ALSO DETAILED HIS PLANS FOR A NATIONAL DEBATE SCHEDULED FOR NEXT
MONTH.
TEXT: TWO YEARS AGO, PRESIDENT KABILA LAYED OUT A TRANSITION
PROGRAM THAT WAS TO HAVE CONCLUDED WITH GENERAL ELECTIONS IN
1999. HOWEVER, INSTEAD OF ELECTIONS, THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF
MR. KABILA'S RISE TO POWER FINDS THIS COUNTRY OF 50-MILLION
PEOPLE TORN BY A WAR THAT, SINCE ITS START LAST AUGUST, HAS DRAWN
IN TROOPS FROM MORE THAN HALF A DOZEN AFRICAN COUNTRIES. RWANDA
AND UGANDA ARE THE PRIMARY SUPPORTERS OF THE REBELLION WHILE
ZIMBABWE, ANGOLA, NAMIBIA AND CHAD HAVE ALL SENT SOLDIERS TO BACK
MR. KABILA'S GOVERNMENT.
IN ADDITION TO THE WAR, CONGO KINSHASA'S ECONOMY IS ALSO IN
SHAMBLES AND THE COUNTRY'S POLITICAL OPPOSITION IS INCREASINGLY
VOCAL IN ITS CRITICISM OF MR. KABILA'S MANAGEMENT ABILITY. MR.
KABILA HAS CONSISTENTLY DEFENDED HIS PERFORMANCE SAYING THE LACK
OF ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL PROGRESS SINCE 1997 IS DUE TO FOREIGN
AGGRESSION.
SPEAKING TO THE NATION LATE MONDAY NIGHT ON STATE TELEVISION AND
RADIO, MR. KABILA BEGAN HIS ADDRESS BY FIRMLY PINNING THE BLAME
FOR CONGO'S TROUBLES ON THE UNRESOLVED CONFLICT BETWEEN THE HUTU
AND THE TUTSI ETHNIC GROUPS IN RWANDA, BURUNDI AND TO A LESSER
EXTENT, UGANDA.
///KABILA ACTUALITY IN FRENCH/// ( ESTABLISH AND FADE DOWN AND
UNDER)
MR. KABILA SAID OUR CURRENT TROUBLES ALL HAVE THE SAME SOURCE IN
RWANDA, UGANDA AND BURUNDI. REFERRING TO THE TUTSI ETHNIC GROUP
WHICH CURRENTLY HOLDS POWER IN RWANDA AND BURUNDI, HE ADDED, IN
THESE COUNTRIES, A MINORITY COMMUNITY PERIODICALLY USES FORCE TO
TAKE POWER FORCING THE MAJORITY HUTUS TO SURRENDER OR FIGHT BACK.
THIS CONFLICT HE SAID HAS SPILLED INTO THE CONGO AND WOULD ONLY
BE SOLVED WITH, IN HIS WORDS, THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF BURUNDIAN
AND RWANDAN SOCIETIES BASED ON TOLERANCE FOR BOTH ETHNIC GROUPS.
MR. KABILA ALSO CALLED ON THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE
A POLICE FORCE FOR CENTRAL AFRICA. IN THE MEANTIME, MR. KABILA
URGED THE CONGOLESE PEOPLE TO CONTINUE RESISTING THE REBELS AND
HE CALLED FOR A GENERAL MOBILIZATON.
MR. KABILA'S ANGER AT THE INTERVENTION OF FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS IN
THE CONGO WAS ECHOED ON MONDAY BY MANY OF THE SEVERAL THOUSAND
SUPPORTERS WHO MARCHED IN A GOVERNMENT SPONSORED ANNIVERSARY
PARADE HERE IN KINSHASA.
///ACTUALITY IN FRENCH/// (ESTABLISH AND THEN FADE DOWN AND
UNDER)
THIS MAN, A GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE, SAYS THE CONGOLESE PEOPLE HAVE
BEEN VICTIMIZED BY FOREIGNERS, INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES, ARE
VERY UNHAPPY ABOUT IT. YOU HAVE EXPLOITED US, HE SAYS, AND HAVE
TAKEN EVERYTHING. BUT THIS TIME, HE SAYS, WE ARE SAYING NO TO
YOU. THE CONGOLESE PEOPLE ARE ALL BEHIND PRESIDENT KABILA.
STILL DESPITE MONDAY'S SHOW OF SOLIDARITY WITH MR. KABILA, RECENT
PUBLIC OPINION POLLS SHOW A GRADUAL DECLINE IN SUPPORT FOR THE
PRESIDENT AND HIS GOVERNMENT. THE MOST RECENT POLL CONDUCTED BY
THE BURSY POLLING AGENCY IN APRIL SHOWS MR. KABILA'S PERSONAL
POPULARITY RATING HAD JUST OVER SIXTY PERCENT.
WHILE THAT IS A RATING MOST WESTERN POLITICIANS WOULD KILL FOR IT
DOES REFLECT A LOSS OF MORE THAN TWENTY PERCENTAGE POINTS SINCE
THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR LAST YEAR. ANALYSTS SAY THE NEXT FEW
MONTHS WOULD BE CRITICAL TO SEE IF MR. KABILA'S POPULARITY
STABILIZES AT THIS LEVEL, WHICH IS WHERE IT WAS BEFORE THE WAR
BEGAN, OR FALLS FURTHER.
FOR MR. KABILA'S OPPONENTS, MONDAY'S ANNIVERSARY MARKED THE END
OF A KIND OF GRACE PERIOD. THEY SAY THE WAR AND THE POOR STATE
OF THE ECONOMY DEMONSTRATE WHAT THEY SEE AS THE GOVERNMENT'S
FAILURE TO KEEP ITS PROMISES.
OMARI LEA SISI IS A FORMER REGIONAL GOVERNOR WHO HAS BEEN
ARRESTED A NUMBER OF TIMES FOR CRITICIZING MR. KABILA'S
GOVERNMENT. IN HIS OPINION, THIS SECOND ANNIVERSARY FINDS THE
COUNTRY AMID ITS WORST CATASTROPHE SINCE ITS INDEPENDENCE IN
1960.
///ACTUALITY IN FRENCH/// (ESTABLISH AND FADE UNDER)
MR. SISI SAYS AFTER TWO YEARS IN POWER, MR. KABILA HAS GUIDED THE
COUNTRY FROM A STATE OF IMPLOSION UNDER FORMER PRESIDENT MOBUTU
SESE SEKO TO EXPLOSION WITH THE WAR IN THE EAST. HE AND OTHERS
IN THE OPPOSITION SAY THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN POORLY MANAGED.
WE HAVE SOME SEMBLANCE OF GOVERNMENT HERE IN KISHASA, SAYS MR.
SIS,I BUT ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY CONFUSION AND ANARCHY REIGN.
HE ADDS, YOU COULD ALMOST SAY THIS COUNTRY NO LONGER EXISTS.
FOR HIS PART, MR. KABILA MADE IT CLEAR IN HIS SPEECH MONDAY NIGHT
THAT HE STILL BELIEVES THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO NOT ONLY
EXISTS BUT REMAINS CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING ITS DEVELOPMENT GOALS.
///BEGIN OPT /// THROUGH NEWLY CREATED ENTITIES, CALLED PEOPLE
POWER COMMITTEES, MR. KABILA SAID THE CONGOLESE PEOPLE WOULD
CEASE TO BE SPECTATORS IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY AND WOULD RE-DIRECT
THE ECONOMY TO SERVE THEIR DOMESTIC NEEDS FIRST. EVERYTHING WILL
BE EVERYONE'S BUSINESS HE SAID.
////OPT ACTUALITY IN FRENCH//// (FADE UNDER)
MR. KABILA SAID THE COMMITTEES WOULD TURN THE COUNTRY INTO A
VAST CONSTRUCTION SITE TO REBUILD THE NATION. HE SAID THE COUNTRY
WOULD USE ITS MINERAL WEALTH TO BUILD NEW ROADS, BRIDGES AND, IN
HIS WORDS, CREATE NEW MODERN CITIES WHERE NOW THERE IS NOTHING.
///END OPT///
BUT TO DO THIS, ANLAYSTS SAY, MR. KABILA'S GOVERNMENT MUST FIRST
END THE WAR AND BRIDGE THE POLITICAL GAP BETWEEN HIS GOVERNMENT
AND THE REBELS AS WELL AS THE NON-ARMED OPPOSITION. THOSE TWO
TASKS WILL BE AT THE TOP OF THE AGENDA AT WHAT IS BEING CALLED A
NATIONAL DEBATE SCHEDULED FOR NEXT MONTH.
ON MONDAY MR. KABILA SAID THE DEBATE SHOULD NOT BE TREATED AS
WHAT HE CALLED A MARKETPLACE OR A PLACE FOR PLOTS. INSTEAD HE
SAID THE DEBATE SHOULD FOCUS ON RESTORING THE PEOPLE'S WISHES AS
THE SOLE SOURCE OF GOVERNMENT LEGITIMACY. (SIGNED)
NEB/JP/PLM
17-May-99 11:42 PM EDT (0342 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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