DATE=5/25/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-249770
TITLE=AFRICAN WARS (L-ONLY)
DATELINE=NAIROBI
BYLINE=JOSIAH OBAT
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: A SUMMIT MEETING BY HEADS OF STATES FROM THE COMMON
MARKETS FOR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA CLOSED TUESDAY IN THE
KENYAN CAPITAL, NAIROBI. JOSIAH OBAT REPORTS THE MEETING ENDED
ACRIMONIOUSLY WITH SHARP DIFFERENCES OVER THE REBELLION IN THE
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO.
TEXT: WHEN THE FINAL SESSION OF THE SUMMIT FOR COMMON MARKETS IN
EASTERN AND CENTRAL AFRICA -- OR "COMESA" -- OPENED TUESDAY
MORNING, TWO OF THE 11 PRESIDENTS ATTENDING HAD ALREADY DEPARTED
FOR HOME. OBSERVERS SAYS THE MOST INTRIGUING DEPARTURE WAS THAT
OF CONGO-KINSHASHA'S PRESIDENT, LAURENT KABILA.
CONGO'S FOREIGN MINISTER YERODIA NDOMBASI TOLD THE SUMMIT THAT
PRESIDENT KABILA LEFT PREMATURELY TO GO AND PLAN A RETALIATION
AGAINST EASTERN NEIGHBOR AND COMESA MEMBER BURUNDI, WHOSE FORCES
HAD ATTACKED CONGO'S BARAKA AREA.
///NDOMBASI ACT IN FRENCH -- ESTABLISH AND FADE UNDER VOICE ///
HE SAID CONGO-KINSHASHA COULD NOT CONCENTRATE ON INTERNAL
RECONSTRUCTION BECAUSE OF WHAT HE CALLED AN "INVASION" BY RWANDA,
UGANDA AND BURUNDI. HE SAID THERE IS NO WAY COMESA CAN ACHIEVE
REGIONAL INTEGRATION IF IT AND AFRICA'S NATIONS CONTINUED TO TURN
A BLIND EYE, AS HE PUT IT, TO FOREIGN INVASION SUCH AS THE ONE
HAPPENING IN HIS COUNTRY.
MR. NDOMBASI'S REMARKS ELICITED A SHARP REACTION FROM UGANDAN
PRESIDENT YOWERI MUSEVENI, WHO SAID THE SUMMIT WAS THE WRONG
FORUM TO DISCUSS THE CONGO WAR. BUT PRESIDENT MUSEVENI
NONETHELESS TOOK THE CHANCE TO TELL THE MEETING THAT IT IS TIME
THEY DISCUSSED CONFLICT IN DETAIL.
///MUSEVENI ACT///
INSTEAD OF JUST TALKING HERE IN A PROPAGANDISTIC WAY
ABOUT THESE CONFLICTS, WE SHOULD GO INTO THE REASONS WHY
THERE ARE THOSE CONFLICTS. WHAT IS THE CAUSE? IT IS
BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS OF JUSTICE AND BAD GOVERNANCE?
THAT IS WHERE THE CONFLICTS COME FROM. YOU MUST ADDRESS
THE CAUSES OF THE CONFLICTS, OTHERWISE THE CONFLICTS
WILL GO ON. //OPT// AND IT DOES NOT MATTER WHEN YOU COME
HERE AND MAKE PROPAGANDISTIC STATEMENTS TO AN AUDIENCE
THAT IS NOT WELL INFORMED THEN YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE
MAKING A CONTRIBUTION. //END OPT//
///END ACT///
//OPT// MORE THAN A DOZEN COUNTRIES IN THE COMESA REGION ARE
INVOLVED IN SOME FORM OF ARMED CONFLICT -- MOST NOTABLY THE
REBELLION IN EASTERN CONGO-KINSHASA AND THE BORDER DISPUTE WAR
BETWEEN ERITREA AND ETHIOPIA. COMESA MEMBER STATES ARE FIGHTING
ON BOTH SIDES IN THE CONGO-KINSHASA WAR. //END OPT//
AS THE COMESA MEETING CAME TO AN END, SUMMIT RESOLUTIONS WERE
OVERSHADOWED BY THE WAR IN CONGO-KINSHASA. THE MEETING RESOLVED
THAT AN INVESTMENTS COMMITTEE BE SET UP TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS
OF ESTABLISHING A FREE TRADE AREA BY OCTOBER NEXT YEAR. THE
MEETING ALSO URGED MEMBER STATES TO START ACCEPTING CURRENCIES
FROM NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES IN THE COURSE OF CROSS BORDER TRADE AS
A COUNTDOWN TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMMON CURRENCY.
//REST OPT// THE MEETING BROUGHT TOGETHER MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED
DELEGATES FROM TWENTY TWO AFRICAN COUNTRIES. (SIGNED)
NEB/JO/PCF
25-May-99 11:55 AM EDT (1555 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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