DATE=8/15/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CONGO SUMMIT (L-O)
NUMBER=2-265497
BYLINE=DELIA ROBERTSON
DATELINE=JOHANNESBURG
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: African leaders have failed in their latest
attempt to get the faltering peace process in Congo-
Kinshasa back on track. Leaders from all the nations
involved in the Congo conflict took part in talks in
the Zambian capital, Lusaka. As V-O-A's Delia
Robertson reports from our southern Africa bureau,
Congo President Laurent Kabila abandoned the meeting,
leaving the host, Zambian President Frederick Chiluba,
to bring the summit to a close.
TEXT: President Laurent Kabila left the meeting in
the early hours of Tuesday, having steadfastly refused
to allow unhindered deployment of a five-thousand-
strong U-N peacekeeping force. Mr. Kabila is
demanding that the peacekeepers be sent only to rebel-
held territory.
Mr. Kabila also continues to reject retired Botswana
President Quett Masire as a facilitator for talks
among the various belligerent forces in the conflict.
Mr. Masire was appointed by the Organization of Africa
Unity, and all other participants at the Lusaka summit
expressed their support for this choice.
Mr. Kabila left the summit accompanied by his major
military allies, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and
Namibian President Sam Nujoma.
Summit host Zambian President Frederick Chiluba said
afterwards that the African leaders had firmly told
Mr. Kabila that he should reconsider his position.
Mr. Chiluba said several misunderstandings and
communications failures between Mr. Kabila and the
United Nations had also been identified. He said that
if these are resolved, Mr. Kabila would comply with U-
N conditions and permit deployment of the
peacekeepers.
But U-N officials who attended the talks told
reporters in Lusaka there had been no progress in this
regard.
Mr. Chiluba said sanctions against the Kabila
government might be an option if Mr. Kabila continues
to ignore the 1999 Lusaka peace agreement. But with
Zimbabwe, Angola, and Namibia supporting Congo-
Kinshasa, it is uncertain how effective sanctions
could be.
The meeting was called after Mr. Kabila boycotted a
summit of the Southern Africa Development Community
last week. In addition to the belligerents, most
Southern African leaders participated in the Lusaka
meeting. (SIGNED)
NEB/DAR/WTW/RAE
15-Aug-2000 11:38 AM EDT (15-Aug-2000 1538 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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