THE government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Saturday accused Rwanda of reinforcing its troops in rebel-held territory in the east of the country.
”In the territories controlled by RCD/Goma (Rwandan-backed rebels), the Rwandan authorities continue to reinforce their troops, thereby clearly showing their intention to pursue hostilities,” the government said in a communique.
The Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD), based in eastern Goma, controls the eastern third of the former Zaire and was not party to a peace deal reached last month in Sun City, South Africa.
The deal between Kinshasa and a rival rebel group backed by Uganda, the Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC), was reached on the sidelines of marathon peace talks among rebel, political and civil groups in the DRC.
The government statement, released after a cabinet meeting, said that Kinshasa would continue to work towards national peace and reconciliation, saying the army would ”assure the defence of the nation”.
The communique renewed the government’s appeal to the RCD and other groups that were not party to the Sun City accord to ”show a nationalist impulse and join the signatories of this accord.”
RCD/Goma and political allies left out of the accord held informal talks on Thursday and Friday with South African President Thabo Mbeki in Cape Town at which they called for further talks towards a new deal to end the four-year war in the DRC.
South Africa’s ambassador to Kinshasa, Sisa Ngombabe, said Mbeki was willing to host a new round of talks and the RCD said it was optimistic this could happen soon, though both the MLC and Kinshasa boycotted the Cape Town meeting.
Meanwhile in Kinshasa, a working group designated at the Sun City talks began drafting a constitution for the transition period.
The Sun City deal will see President Joseph Kabila remain head of state and MLC leader Jean-Pierre Bemba installed as prime minister, a new post.
The RCD rejected lesser posts in the new government, raising fears that the war in the DRC, in which Angolan and Zimbabwean troops are fighting on the government side, would flare up again.
RCD secretary general Azarias Ruberwa warned: ”That (Sun City) deal does not resolve the Congolese crisis. It does not end the war, it does not ensure the withdrawal of foreign troops and it divides the Congo instead of reunifying the country.”
The MLC and Kinshasa are planning to install their new government in June, and observers say it is highly unlikely that Bemba will give up the promised post of prime minister and will ask for guarantees before further talks. – Sapa-AFP