OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Thursday 4.00pm.
DEMOCRATIC Republic of Congo President Laurent Kabila on Wednesday said he wants to hold elections in the country in April 1999 , but first must “boot out” invading troops.
“We want to go to elections. It was set for April. For that we will have to boot the aggressor out of national territory,” Kabila said at a rally attended by thousands of supporters. “Very rapidly we will continue with the program of democratisation,” he added.
Kabila’s latest statement is in line with his intention, expressed soon after seizing power, that he would hold elections within two years.
His armed forces a fighting against a six-week-old rebellion, which he says is aided by Rwanda and Uganda, while his forces are supported by troops from Angola, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The rebels charged Tuesday that Sudan has also contributed 2000 troops to Kabila’s forces, but this has been denied.
Meanwhile, the rebels on Wednesday announced a dusk to dawn curfew in their eastern stronghold of Goma, following an attack on Monday by tribal militia that rebels claim left 24 people dead and several injured among the local civilian population.