President Nelson Mandela has expressed satisfaction with discussions he had with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on the situation in the Great Lakes Region in Pretoria on Monday.
Asked for comment on the talks aimed at brokering a peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo civil war Mandela said these matters are “very sensitive”. Being the chairman of the Southern African Development Community, it would be improper for him to reveal the content of the talks without first consulting his SADC counterparts. “I am satisfied with my discussions,” he said.
Mandela is expected to meet Rwandan vice-president Paul Kagame in Pretoria on Friday in the latest attempt to bring peace to the region. The leadership of the Congo rebel movement are expected to meet him at the weekend.
Meanwhile the allies of DRC President Laurent Kabila are due to meet on Wednesday in Harare to discuss the escalating conflict, a Zimbawean foreign affairs spokesman said.
The planned one-day meeting is to be attended by President Jos Eduardo Dos Santos of Angola, Sam Nujoma of Namibia, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and the embattled Kabila. Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia and, recently, Chad have deployed troops in the DRC in support of Kabila, who has faced a Tutsi-led rebellion, backed by Uganda and Rwanda, since August 2. Uganda has admitted to having troops deep in the DRC, but said their primary objective is to crack down on cross-border incursions by Ugandan rebels, while Kigali has not officially admitted military backing for the rebels but expressed strong political and moral support.
The alliance is expected to discuss the future mandate of their forces stationed in the the DRC and will examine the possibility of deployment in the east where rebels are increasing their control.
The summit follows consultations last week between Mugabe and Kabila, a day after the strategic eastern town of Kindu fell into rebel hands. At the end of last week’s talks with Kabila, Mugabe vowed to continue aiding Kabila to stem the rebellion in the former Zaire.