OWN CORRESPONDENT, Durban | Wednesday, 11.30PM.
ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe has been mandated by Democratic Republic of Congo President Laurent Kabila and Namibian President Sam Nujoma to represent them at Thursday’s mini-summit on the crisis in central Africa, a spokesman for United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan said on Wednesday night.
Annan met Kabila earlier on Wednesday and then held talks jointly with Mugabe and Nujoma about the conflict in the DRC, spokesman Ahmed Fawzi told reporters.
He said Kabila’s absence will not jeopardise Thursday’s meeting. Kabila and Nujoma, have “designated Mugabe to speak on their behalf”.
However, although Kabila expected to leave Durban for the DRC on Wednesday evening, he told reporters late on Wednesday night that it appeared he would be spending the night after all.
A South African official confirmed that Kabila’s plane was stranded at Port Elizabeth airport. “We know where his plane is, but we can’t find the pilot,” the official said.
Kabila was non-commital about attending Thursday’s mini-summit.
In a positive development, Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni and Rwandan president Pasteur Bizimungu, who initially arrived for talks with Annan earlier on Wednesday, instead spent about an hour talking to Mugabe and Nujoma.
This was the first time that Kabila’s military allies have held direct talks with their Ugandan and Rwandan counterparts, whom they claim are the aggressors in the DRC.
Annan greeted Museveni and Bizimungu, but was called away for another engagement. The four leaders began talking without him, Fawzi said. Annan described the talks as “helpful and constructive” and sounded encouraged, Fawzi said. “At least he got the parties together.”