DATE=1/18/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CONGO FIGHTING (L)
NUMBER=2-258163
BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS
DATELINE=NAIROBI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: In Congo, government troops have broken
through rebel lines, ending a two-month siege of
the central town of Ikela(ee-KELL-ah). As V-O-A's
Scott Stearns reports, it is the latest fighting
in Congo's shaky cease-fire.
TEXT: Soldiers loyal to President Laurent Kabila
finally freed some two-thousand troops who had
been surrounded in Ikela since rebels cut
overland and river re-supply routes in November.
Among the besieged contingent were 800
Zimbabweans.
Rebels reportedly offered little resistance to
the government advance, though they are sure to
remain concerned about Ikela as it is just 300
kilometers from the rebel-held city, Kisangani.
There has been fighting across several fronts
since President Kabila and his allies signed a
cease-fire six months ago with Rwanda and Uganda,
who are backing the rebels. Each time there is
fighting, each side accuses the other of
violating the cease-fire, but so far none of the
violence has re-ignited full-scale war.
After a year-and-a-half, this rebellion has
fallen into something of a stalemate. Neither
party wants to tip that balance by being seen as
the aggressor, particularly ahead of talks next
week at the United Nations.
President Kabila's government was quick to say it
has no plans to push beyond Ikela, farther into
rebel-held territory. Army spokesman Leon Richard
Kasonga says troops were only "preserving"
positions they occupied before the accord. He
says the military still respects the cease-fire.
So do the rebels. They say government troops have
taken ground rebels controlled before the cease-
fire went into effect. Rebels and their allies
want the U-N to move faster on a 25-thousand
strong peacekeeping force. That is being held-up
largely because many people outside Congo fear
the situation is simply too unstable for such a
small force in such a big country.
With at least seven foreign armies in Congo and
rebels themselves divided, it will not be an easy
cease-fire to observe, especially as there has
never really been a cease-fire to start with.
There has been little progress on political parts
of the plan, including a proposed "national
dialogue" on Congo's future. There is division
over who would be included in that dialogue as
the composition of the group will determine the
nature of a transitional authority ahead of
planned democratic elections.
It is that impasse that United Nations
negotiators hope to tackle, but there is little
momentum ahead of next week's talks, especially
amidst reports that President Kabila will now not
attend in person. (SIGNED)
NEB/SS/GE
18-Jan-2000 06:38 AM EDT (18-Jan-2000 1138 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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