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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

DRC: Fall shoring up support for Great Lakes regional conference

KINSHASA, 3 November 2003 (IRIN) - The Special Representative of UN Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region, Ibrahima Fall, is holding meetings with government officials of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as part of the preparatory process to organize an international conference for peace, security, democracy and development for the region.

The two-day event, due to take place in Nairobi, Kenya, in mid-2004, will constitute the first meeting of the six national focal points appointed by their heads of state from the core countries of the Great Lakes region, namely Burundi, the DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. [see earlier story, "Work begins on regional peace and development conference"]

"All [with whom I have met] have expressed their support for the conference," Fall told reporters on Monday in the capital, Kinshasa.

He was speaking following a meeting with Yerodia Abdoulaye Ndombasi, one of four vice-presidents of the country's two-year transitional government.

Upon his arrival in Kinshasa on Friday, Fall met with Congolese President Joseph Kabila, currently en route to the US for a meeting with President George W. Bush and other US officials.

Fall was also scheduled to meet on Monday with Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba, leader of the Mouvement de liberation du Congo former rebel group, and on Tuesday with Vice-President Azarias Ruberwa, leader of the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie-Goma former rebel movement. Meetings with other government officials and former rebel leaders are also scheduled.

This is Fall's first visit to the Congo since the 30 June installation of the country's transitional national government, which ostensibly brought an end to nearly five years of war.

Theme(s): (IRIN) Conflict

[ENDS]

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