08 June 2000
U.N. Brokers New Kisangani Cease-Fire in DRC
(Holbrooke: tired of lamentable, inexcusable fighting) (660) By Judy Aita Washington File United Nations Correspondent United Nations -- Secretary General Kofi Annan June 8 brokered a cease-fire between Rwandan and Uganda whose troops are fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) city of Kisangani. Annan along with U.S. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, who headed a special Security Council Mission to Africa in May and also negotiated an earlier Kisangani cease-fire, talked on the phone from U.N. headquarters with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Uganda President Yoweri Museveni. "They discussed the persistent outbreaks of fighting between Rwandan and Ugandan forces in Kisangani in the DRC," U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said. "The secretary general stated that the fighting was lamentable and, regardless who had initiated it, that it must cease immediately." "In response, the two presidents agreed to a cease-fire as of 4:00 p.m. local time today and to withdraw their troops consistent with the agreement reached between the two sides on 21 May," Eckhard said. Holbrooke said that "this is not the first cease-fire of the last month. It's at least the third. We are sick and tired of this lamentable, inexcusable fighting between two countries that are friends, that are allies and that are fighting each other on the soil of a third country." "There is simply no excuse for it," Holbrooke told journalists outside the Security Council chambers. Uganda and Rwanda, former allies, now support rival rebel groups trying to oust DRC President Laurent Kabila. Kisangani is the center of the diamond trade in the DRC. Commending the secretary general's effort, the U.S. ambassador said that "President Kagame and President Museveni said they agreed. They talked directly to each other as we listened in." Nevertheless, the ambassador said that he "would be more optimistic if it hadn't been that we have participated twice in these processes." "We support 100 percent (Annan's) efforts this morning and we shall see, what we shall see," Holbrooke said. The Rwandan troops will withdraw south across the Congo River toward Ubundu and Lubutu and the Ugandan troops will pull back to positions north and east of Kisangani toward Banalia and Bafwasende, the U.N. said. The U.N., which currently has 20 military observers in Kisangani, said that it will immediately increase that number and station observers with both Ugandan and Rwandan troops. Holbrooke stressed that "it will take some time for the U.N. forces to get there to patrol and demilitarize Kisangani." "The Rwandans and the Ugandans simply need to carry out their repeated pledges to each other," Holbrooke continued. "We don't care who started the fighting in Kisangani two days ago. Each side said it was the other. They're both equally to blame. If one side thinks it heard a shot or is actually shot at, it should not respond immediately. It should get into billets; it should get under cover; and it should find out what's going on," he said. "There are direct communications between the commanders on the ground. They should pick up the phone and call each other instead of telling their troops to shoot at each other," the ambassador said. "Again, I repeat, my government thinks there is no excuse for what happened in Kisangani in the last 48 hours. A hospital was hit; a school was hit: the cathedral was hit," he said. "Many people have died. And for what? For nothing," Holbrooke said. "It has to stop. It threatens the entire Lusaka peace process even though it isn't originally part of the Lusaka peace process at all," he said. The U.N. spokesman said that "the secretary general hopes that with the demilitarization of Kisangani, the DRC will move closer to a comprehensive cease-fire and eventually a stable and durable peace under the Lusaka cease-fire agreement." (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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