OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Friday 5.00pm.
DEMOCRATIC Republic of Congo rebel leader Ernest Wamba dia Wamba on Friday said he is considering his movement’s participation in the all-party peace talks called on Thursday by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.
Wamba admitted, however, that the rebel movement has not yet received an invitation to the talks. Announcing that the decision whether to attend will be made later on Friday, he rejected suggestions of Zimbabwean mediation and stipulated that the talks must be held in a neutral country and not Zimbabwe, which, along with Angola and Namibia, has sent reinforcements to bolster President Laurent Kabila’s army.
“I have to discuss it with my movement,” Wamba said. “It’s a subject of negotiations who should be mediator. The peace process can’t be dictated by one person.”
Mugabe snatched the limelight on the final day of the Non-Aligned Movement’s 12th summit in Durban on Thursday, announcing that peace in the DRC is imminent and that a meeting of all warring parties will be held within three days.
It emerged on Friday that the “secret summit” may be held in the Swazi capital, Mbabane, after Swazi government sources on Friday said African leaders are due to meet in Mbabane on Monday to discuss conflict in the DRC. The sources said the military involvement of Zimbabwe, Angola and Namibia in the DRC will also be on the agenda of the summit.
Some 18 heads of states and governments are expected in Swaziland over the weekend to attend the 30th birthday celebrations of Swazi King Mswati III, including President Nelson Mandela, Mugabe, Zambian leader Frederick Chiluba, Nambian President Sam Nujoma and Lesotho’s King Letsie III.
Unconfirmed reports said Kabila is also expected to attend the celebrations.