OWN CORRESPONDENTS, Johannesburg | Thursday 11.00pm.
THE Democratic Republic of Congo rebels have warned South Africa not to become militarily involved in the conflict.
During a meeting with the Democratic Party’s Tony Leon, Congolese Democratic Coalition representative Thomas Nziratimana said he was concerned that there is pressure within the Southern African Development Community for South Africa to join the conflict.
Nziratimana said any such intervention will be ill-advised and will serve only to worsen the situation. “Circumstances beyond our control brought about the current conflict,” he said, “but we remain convinced that the only long-term and meanigful solution to our country’s problems would be for all the roleplayers to engage in negotiation aimed at achieving true democracy. By maintaining its current stance of non-interference, South Africa can and will play an extremely significant role as an honest broker.”
The briefing was one of several given by Nziratimana in the past fortnight to various South African leaders.
The warning comes hard on the heels of a visit to Nigeria by DRC President Laurent Kabila, which led to the Nigerian leader, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, calling for foreign powers to withdraw from the Congo. Abubakar was referring to Rwanda and Uganda, which Kabila has accused of invading the DRC, but not to Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia and Chad, all of which have sent troops in support of Kabila.
Kabila’s visit to Nigeria may also have been motivated by the fact that Nigeria is the most powerful nation militarily in the West African bloc, and the West African intervention force Ecomog is comprised largely of Nigerian troops.
Meanwhile Kabila has appointed Commander Kalume Numbi, formerly general in the Zairean armed forces of the dictator Mobutu sese Seko, as deputy minister of defence. The defence portfolio is held by Kabila himself, and on Thursday he appointed his son Joseph as deputy chief of staff of the Congolese Armed Forces (FAC).