Posted on 1-8-2002

Peace Pact Congo-Rwanda
(Photo shows President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa who brokered the peace
accord)

NAIROBI, 30 Jul 2002 (IRIN) - Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Joseph
Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) signed an agreement on
Tuesday to end to the conflict between their two countries.

A memorandum of understanding and a timescale for the implementation of the
accord were signed in Pretoria, South Africa, in the presence of South
African President Thabo Mbeki, chairman of the African Union (AU); Malawi
President Bakili Muluzi; South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma; South
African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini; Deputy Special Representative
of the UN Secretary-General to the DRC Lena Sundh; and members of the
diplomatic corps accredited to South Africa. Speaking on the South African
Broadcasting Corporation from the ceremony at the presidential guesthouse
in Pretoria, Kabila said, "Today must be considered as a great day for the
whole of Africa, one step more towards the sustainable development of the
continent. "The Congolese people, their government, and I are determined to
live in harmony with the nine countries with which we share borders."

Kabila gave assurances that his government would apply "in all good faith"
today's commitments, adding, "If there is any failure of this agreement, it
won't be because of a failure on the part of the DRC government." He called
on the "entire international community", including the UN and its Security
Council in particular, to support peace in the region, and thanked "all
those who never ceased giving their energy so that this day would arrive".

For his part, Kagame called the accord "a big step in the direction of
resolving the conflict in the DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, among other countries".
He said: "This agreement is important in many aspects, as it addresses two
of the core issues that underlie conflict in the region - one, how to deal
with the ex-FAR [former Rwandan armed forces] and Interahamwe [Hutu
extremist militia] and two, it paves the way for the withdrawal of forces
who are involved in this conflict from the DRC." However, he warned that
the agreement would not succeed without the support of the entire continent
of Africa and the entire international community. "As the international
community has historically been part of the problem, they must be part of
the solution," he said. He accused the international community of having
provided "more lip service than application of its capacities" to bring
peace to the region. Kagame closed his speech saying, "On behalf of my
country, I wish to express that Rwanda is ready to fulfil its part of the
obligation as agreed in this Memorandum of Understanding."

Following the signing of the documents, Mbeki promised that the AU, the UN
and South Africa would all help to implement the accord.

The peace agreement commits the DRC to locating and disarming Rwandan
Interahamwe Hutu militias and ex-FAR - the forces responsible for the 1994
genocide in Rwanda who remain active in the DRC; collaborating with the UN
Mission in the DRC (known by its French acronym, MONUC) to dismantle the
Interahamwe and ex-FAR; and repatriating all Rwandan ex-combatants to
Rwanda, including some 2,000 presently at a UN base in Kamina, Katanga
Province, southeastern DRC. As for Rwanda, its government agreed to
withdraw its troops from the DRC "as soon as effective measures have been
taken to address security concerns in the DRC, in particular the
dismantling of the Interahamwe and ex-FAR", an official statement from the
Rwandan capital, Kigali, said. A 90-day programme for the implementation of
the agreement has been outlined and agreed upon by both countries.

Meanwhile, the Ugandan government-owned daily newspaper, The New Vision,
reported on Monday that a new peace plan for the DRC involving the
Rwandan-backed rebel Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD-Goma)
was being developed. "The new arrangement, which is geared towards the
formation of an acceptable interim administration, is in advanced stages,"
James Wapakhabulo, the Ugandan third deputy prime minister, was quoted by
the paper as saying. He said Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni was in touch
with his counterparts in Kigali and the DRC capital, Kinshasa, on the new
arrangement.

Under the arrangement, Kabila would remain the interim president and have
two vice-presidents - one from RCD-Goma and the other from the Mouvement de
liberation du Congo of Jean-Pierre Bemba. The new plan would supersede the
19 April accord reached at the conclusion of the inter-Congolese dialogue
in Sun City, South Africa, by which Kabila would serve as president and
Bemba as his prime minister.

Last week, Museveni briefed Bemba on the new initiative; however, sources
told The New Vision that Bemba had not yet accepted it.