GOVERNMENT officials flew to Lusaka on Tuesday to take part in talks to prepare for a regional summit aimed at ending the 10-month conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the foreign ministry said. The South African government team, led by foreign ministry director-general Jackie Selebi, is expected to be followed on Saturday by a delegation led by President Thabo Mbeki. The foreign trip will be Mbeki’s first as state president after he was inaugurated last week as successor to Nelson Mandela. The new president is expected to be accompanied to the Zambian capital by Foreign Minister Nkosazana Zuma and local government minister Sydney Mufamadi, who has spearheaded South Africa’s attempts to end the 10-month conflict in the DRC. Zambian President Frederick Chiluba on Sunday said the DRC peace talks would begin at level of government officials, followed by a ministerial meeting possibly on Wednesday through to Friday.