WEDNESDAY, 3.30PM
AS sporadic artillery fire continued in the Congolese capital Brazzaville on Wednesday, France and the United States began “joint steps” to convince the warring parties to come to the negotiating table.
Announcing the initiative, French foreign ministry spokesman Jacques Rummelhardt did not elaborate on the measures, but noted that the foreign ministry’s African affairs expert, Jean-Didier Roisin, had met US Ambassador to Congo Aubrey Hooks in Paris.
Rummelhardt said the goal will be to persuade the Congolese government and rebel forces to “pursue negotiations in the framework of the international mediation committee headed by Gabonese President Omar Bongo and to cease hostilities without delay.”
As a relative overnight calm gave way to heavy wepons fire in Brazzaville early on Wednesday, both warring parties blamed each other for the aggression. The shooting was reported to have died down by midday.
Meanwhile, Lissouba’s administration on Tuesday offered $1-million to the United Nations to help set up a peacekeeping force in Brazzaville. The offer was described as “a special contribution to the financial effort required for the rapid deployment of a peacekeeping force” in a letter to UN secretary-general Kofi Annan from Congolese ambassador Daniel Abibi. Annan had previously made such a force contingent on a durable ceasefire.
Fighting first broke out between the president’s troops and the rebels on June 5, when army forces loyal to Lissouba surrounded Sassou Nguesso’s home to try to disarm his private militia ahead of planned presidential elections on July 27.
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