Monday January 22 9:42 PM ET
U.N. Council Wants Congo Details
By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Writer
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. Security Council has urged the warring sides in Congo to cooperate with a panel investigating illegal diamond and gold mining in the country.
The U.N.-appointed panel put out an interim report last week on its first three months of work, saying it couldn't present a clear picture of the plundering of Congo's natural resources since there were no statistics in the country after years of mismanagement and corruption.
Panelists received varying levels of cooperation from the half-dozen governments involved in Congo's war, ``ranging from apparent openness to near hostility,'' the Security Council said in a statement Monday. It said it was ``disappointed'' by the responses and called on the governments involved to cooperate more.
Rebels took up arms against the late Congolese President Laurent Kabila in 1998, accusing him of mismanagement and corruption. They won the support of Rwanda and Uganda, while Kabila later enlisted the support of Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Kabila's government later accused Rwandan and Ugandan troops of stealing Congo's diamonds, gold, timber and other minerals from areas under control of the rebels they support.
The two countries have denied the accusations. They promised the panelists that there would be swift punishment for any soldier found to be making a profit off Congo's mines.
Diplomats suggested that the panelists may have not reported all the information they have gathered so as to not antagonize governments while the investigation is ongoing.
Council members encouraged panelists to name names in their final report. Such a report, expected in March, could pave the way for possible sanctions against countries found to be illegally stealing Congo's wealth.
Last week, French President Jacques Chirac told reporters at a Franco-African summit in Cameroon that he would favor sanctions against countries that support the armed rebellion against Kinshasa - a reference to Rwanda and Uganda.
``We consider the occupation of a part of Congolese territory by foreign countries illegitimate and unacceptable, as is the pillage of resources,'' he said.
The countries backing Kabila's government have argued that they shouldn't be investigated for alleged plundering since they are in the country at the request of the government. They say any illegal activity is being carried out by the ``uninvited aggressors'' - Rwanda and Uganda.
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