Sechaba ka’Nkosi
Embattled Democratic Republic of Congo President Laurent Kabila ignored his advisers and allies this week by snubbing a comprehensive peace offer from the rebels that could have ended the war that is tearing Central Africa apart.
The offer, which was confirmed by high- level sources, was made to Kabila last week, hours after the fall of the strategic town of Kindu to the rebels. This gave them the military initiative against the combined might of the pro-government forces and Zimbabwean, Angolan, Sudanese, Chadian and Namibian troops in the conflict.
On Monday, foreign and defence ministers of the Southern African Development Community will meet with their Rwandan and Angolan counterparts, as well as officials of the United Nations and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). To be held in Lusaka, Zambia, the meeting is to discuss the modalities of a possible ceasefire between the warring factions.
This week, a hastily convened summit of pro-Kabila allies met in Harare to discuss new strategies to respond to the intensifying rebel offensive. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe admitted for the first time to losses suffered by his forces in the conflict.
The Harare summit issued threats to intensify the war against the rebels by launching a counter-offensive in the east. It was dominated by rhetoric from Mugabe, who said that together with other allies, Zimbabwe would go the last mile in defending the Congo.
Mugabe is facing an internal revolt at home because of the R5,72-million per day subsidy for the 3 000 troops who are defending Kabila’s regime.
As the summit was meeting, the Congolese Democratic Coalition rebels were reportedly making rapid advances toward the towns of Katako-Kombe and Kombe.
The fall of these towns would open the rebels’ way south-west to the strategic town of Mbuju-Mayi, the diamond mining centre, and the gold fields of Kananga. Control of the revenues from these areas would permit the rebels to fight a protracted war.
Observers predict that with their army growing to 30 000 soldiers – more than four times Kabila’s army – the rebels have amassed enough might to topple Kabila before Christmas.
Although the details of the peace deal are still unclear, they are believed to include the withdrawal of all foreign troops – to be replaced by a multinational peacekeeping force – and a “national sovereignty conference”. This would include Kabila’s embattled regime, all rebel formations and provincial governors as a condition for the cessation of armed hostilities towards the government.
The offer – which is believed to have been drafted with the assistance of Ugandan and Rwandan advisers and influential business personalities in the Congo – also calls for the appointment of an interim government and the holding of elections within the next six months.
The involvement of foreign troops from Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Namibia would be discussed at a later international conference held under the auspices of the OAU and the UN to discuss regional peace in the Great Lakes.
The rebel peace offer also bears striking resemblance to the South African-initiated proposal made to a summit of relevant stakeholders in August, in which President Nelson Mandela outlined a military stand- off between all sides and a peaceful process of political dialogue aimed at finding a solution to the Congo’s problems.
Pretoria this week dumped its detached stance towards the conflict and embarked on a lone crusade to revive diplomatic efforts to end the escalating rebellion in the Congo.
This week Mandela met two of the conflict’s most senior parties – Ugandan President Yoweri Muse- veni and Rwandan Deputy President Paul Kigame, within five days.
Next week he turns his attention to senior rebel leaders in the Congo including former academic Ernest Wamba dia Wamba.
Senior government sources told the Mail & Guardian that Pretoria was also in constant contact with Kabila’s embattled government. It is believed that South Africa wants to persuade Kabila to accept rebel leaders as part of the solution rather than antagonise them.