SUSAN NJANJI, Harare | Monday 7.00pm
The presidents of Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola, which all give military backing to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) regime, on Monday rejected a unilateral ceasefire declaration by Rwanda.
President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, speaking after a mini-summit here among the three, said they considered that Rwanda’s unilateral cessation of hostilities in the DRC was “false and deceptive”.
He was referring to a decision to halt military activity announced by the Kigali government, which backs rebels in the DRC, on May 28.
The Rwandans have since stood accused of breaching their own engagement, which they however rescinded Thursday, the day after pro-Kinshasa forces attacked the eastern town of Uvira.
The DRC war began in August 1998 when disillusioned Tutsis rose up against Kabila with the support of Rwanda, Uganda and, less overtly, Burundi, which are concerned over armed incursions by rebels based in DRC.
Kabila in turn has military support from Zimbabwe, Angola and Namibia.
Mugabe, flanked by Sam Nujoma of Namibia and Jose Eduardo dos Santos of Angola, said Monday: “Let us not take these undertakings when they are announced by the aggressors of the (DR) Congo, on their face value.”
The three leaders went into talks after a delay of two and a half hours as DRC President Laurent Kabila failed to show up.
Mugabe, who had gone in vain to the airport to fetch Kabila for the mini-summit, explained at a news conference that the DRC president was unable to attend “because of events that surrounded his departure as he was preparing to come.”
He refused to elaborate on the sudden developments. Kabila was represented by Justice Minister Mwenze Kongolo and Foreign Minister Yerodia Ndombasi, who arrived two hours after the summit had started.
Asked how long the allies were prepared to stay on in the costly military war in the DRC, Mugabe said: “We are prepared to go on fighting for as long as it takes for us and the Congo to regain its sovereignty in its ultimate form.” — AFP