OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Wednesday 12.15pm
ZIMBABWE has announced the launch of an eastern offensive in the Democratic Republic of Congo by allies of President Laurent Kabila. The Zimbabwean government said on Wednesday morning that “allied air force planes” inflicted heavy casualties and extensive damage to enemy targets in the Lake Tanganyika area over the weekend.
“The operation marks the beginning of the allied offensive against the invading Rwandan and Ugandan troops who occupy the eastern part of the DRC,” the Zimbabwean government said. “Offensive operations towards the northeast have now started.” Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia and Chad, have deployed troops in the DRC to back Kabila against Tutsi-led rebels supported by Rwanda and Uganda.
The statement did not give any further details but apparently refers to recent military action reported by independent sources in the DRC capital Kinshasa. Sources said Zimbabwean aircraft killed some 600 rebels when they sank six barges on Lake Tanganyika at the weekend.
The barges were reportedly carrying rebels and military equipment between Kalemie and Moba, a town some 140km further south on the lake shore. The sources also reported that Zimbabwean warplanes destroyed a rebel supply column south of the eastern city of Kalemie.
The planes reportedly bombed the supply column, which included some 1500 head of cattle destined for Kalemie, 1600km east of Kinshasa and is the southernmost position held by the rebels. A local rebel commander Jean-Pierre Ondekane denied both reports.
* Meanwhile, DRC President Laurent Kabila said in Brussels on Tuesday that political parties will be allowed in the Democratic Republic of Congo in two months. Kabila is in Belgium on a two-day “working visit,” and said that, “The people should decide who should lead them. We have said that it is better to liberalize activities (of political parties) and that will take place, according to law, in two months.”
Kabila told the Belgian daily Le Soir last week that elections will be held soon in the DRC, but did not give a date.
His regime has come under criticism both at home and abroad for an apparent lack of resolve to bring democracy to the country and alleged human rights abuses.
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