26 April 2002
The Rwandan-backed rebel Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD-Goma) has formed an alliance with five other political parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to fight attempts by President Joseph Kabila and the Mouvement pour la liberation du Congo (MLC) to form a new government, following an agreement made between them at the end of the inter-Congolese dialogue (ICD) last week.
The alliance, called Alliance pour la sauvegarde du dialogue inter-congolais (ASD)- to be headed by veteran politician Etienne Tshisekedi, leader of the Union pour la democratie et le progres social (UDPS) - has as it main objective the continuation of the ICD in Sun City, South Africa. Other objectives are the formation of a new consensual political order, the defence of the Lusaka Peace Accord and the establishment of the rule of law.
The ASD, which will be based in Kisangani, eastern DRC, brings together the UDPS, the Dynamique pour une transition neutre (DPTN), the Mouvement Lumumbiste progressiste (MLP), the Conseil de l'opposition congolaise externe de l'Amerique du Nord (COCEAN) and the Rassemblement pour une nouvelle societe (RNS).
17 April 2002
The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the rebel Mouvement pour la liberation du Congo (MLC) have reached an agreement in Sun City, South Africa, that they claim will reunite 70 percent of the divided country.
The deal, which its architects claim was inspired by South African President Thabo Mbeki, would give the MLC leader, Jean-Pierre Bemba, the job of prime minister in a transitional government, while confirming Joseph Kabila as president, the MLC spokesman, Olivier Kamitatu, told a press conference in Sun City on Wednesday.
The other main rebel movement in DRC, the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD-Goma) would nominate the president of parliament, said Kamitatu, and would hold ministerial posts in the government, as would the unarmed opposition and civil society.
The Rwandan-backed RCD, which governs the remaining 30 percent of the country, is understood to have rejected the deal. The rebel movement had been holding out for more important posts than the presidency of parliament. Under a plan proposed by Mbeki last week, which the RCD had said it could discuss, defence, security and elections portfolios would be given to it in a transition government.
9 April 2002
With the inter-Congolese dialogue due to end on Friday, the rebel Mouvement pour la liberation du Congo (MLC) on Tuesday effectively accepted that 30 year-old Joseph Kabila could remain as president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Olivier Kamitatu, secretary general of the MLC,said the MLC proposes to share power with the regime in Kinshasa by setting up a presidential council, consisting of Kabila, and the leaders of the two main rebel movements in the DRC, Jean-Pierre Bemba, head of the MLC, and Dr Adolphe Onusumba, head of the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD-Goma).
"These three leaders have the capacity to reunify the territories, armies and administration of the country. It's up to them to discuss each other's role."
The power-sharing formula could take the form of a rotating presidency, as in Burundi, or that of a sharing of functions or institutions, said Kamitatu. He admitted that RCD-Goma had so far preferred the idea of replacing Kabila as president.
As of Tuesday evening, RCD-Goma had not yet made an official response to the MLC suggestion, but unofficially sources in the RCD sounded doubtful.
"You can't work with three heads of state," said one source, who claimed that American observers had advised the MLC against the idea.
5 April 2002
The Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD-Goma) armed opposition group on Tuesday gave custody of 104 child soldiers to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and its partner agencies, International Committee of the Red Cross, Save the Children-UK (SCF-UK) and SOS Grands lacs in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). According to a statement from UNICEF on Thursday, the liberation of this first group of children signals the start of a larger agreement reached with RCD-Goma to ultimately demobilise some 2,600 child soldiers from within their ranks.
28 February 2002
Latest reports from the Congo peace talks in Sun City, South Africa, indicate that the stalled negotiations may restart as soon as Friday or Monday. This followed late-night meetings between the key players to end the deadlock that was threatening to scupper efforts to end the civil war.
The talks were suspended on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after they opened.
One sticking point was the issue of representation of the political opposition delegation. The two main Congolese rebel leaders, backed by Rwanda and Uganda, had accused the government of President Joseph Kabila of replacing genuine opposition delegations from Kinshasa with his own supporters, masquerading as political opponents.