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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

DRC: Parties endorse document of transitional constitution

SUN CITY, SOUTH AFRICA, 1 April 2003 (IRIN) - Government representatives and rebel groups from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), meeting in South Africa for the final session of the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, have unanimously endorsed a transitional constitution to govern DRC for two years.

The talks opened on Tuesday in Sun City with a five-minute plenary session, involving delegates from the government, rebel groups, the political opposition, civil society and various militia groups. They endorsed the gobal agreement signed in Pretoria on 17 December 2002.

It is hoped that the dialogue, due to end on Wednesday, will result in the signing of an accord by all the parties to set up a national government for the DRC, and to integrate the different forces into the national army. The main principles have already been agreed by all parties, but questions remain over the sharing of responsibilities, especially in the military.

At a press conference after the short session, the secretary-general of the Rwandan-backed rebel Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD-Goma), Azaria Ruberwa, said, "We will come tomorrow to put an end to the war."

The delegates agreed that DRC president Joseph Kabila would keep his post in the new national government. There would be four posts of vice-president to be filled by members of the rebel movments and the non-armed political opposition parties.

All the delegates agreed to call for a neutral international military force to ensure the security of the transitional government and its members.

Themes: (IRIN) Conflict, (IRIN) Governance

[ENDS]

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