OWN CORRESPONDENT, Kisangani | Friday 9.00pm.
REBELS fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo have refuted the government’s claim that it has recaptured the town of Lubutu, which lies on the main route between tow rebel strongholds.
Rebel-run Radio Bukavu said at the weekend that forces opposing President Laurent Kabila still controlled Lubutu, about 360km north-west of rebel headquarters in Goma, and about the same distance south-east of rebel-held Kisangani on the Congo River.
The radio report, monitored by the BBC in Kenya, also said rebels captured Shabunda and in eastern Kivu Province, as well as Buta and Banalia, both on a road that runs north from Kisangani.
The rebels have also reported that a white man fighting alongside loyalist troops in a clash not far from Lubutu has been killed. He has yet to be identified, rebel commander rebel military Commander Jean-Pierre Ondekane said on Sunday.
Ondekane confirmed that Lubutu is still in rebel hands, saying the town is “calm”. He denied claims that loyalist forces had surrounded rebel-held Kalemie in the south-east, saying the insurgent troops had pushed on 75km south of Kalemie, close to the village of Viura.
“We captured a lot of war materiel, including heavy machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades, around Nyunzu, some 100km west of Kalemie, about a week ago,” he said.
Ondekane said he had heard reports that Sudanese troops had crossed the border into the DRC, but said: “We have no proof. We are looking for them.”
Meanwhile the talks in Addis Ababa aimed at implementing a ceasefire in the DRC broke up at the weekend with no resolution. Both Rwanda and Uganda said that for the talks to be effective, the rebels should be invited to take part. Kabila’s representative and his allies — Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe — refused to consider including them. The rebels themd=selves have said that no tlak of a ceasfire is binding unless they participate.