Two things:
First.The cease-fire seems to indicate a split in the Uganda/Rwanda - Tutsi alliance. Further more it is not obvious that a short delay benefits the aggressors. Will U/R move the war to the west and will the DRC coalition have the capacity to move east/north, that seems to be the question. More to loose than to gain?
Second:
"INTERVIEW-Gecamines chief denies Zimbabwe tradeoff
07:56 a.m. Nov 13, 1998 Eastern
By Darren Schuettler
JOHANNESBURG, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Billy Rautenbach, the new chairman of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's mining giant Gecamines, on Friday rejected speculation that his surprising appointment was linked to Zimbabwe's role in fighting a rebellion in the mineral rich country.
Rautenbach also pledged to revive the struggling state-owned company by slashing costs, boosting output and speeding up talks with major foreign mining firms seeking to invest in the Congo.
''The first thing is to get some confidence into the market that Gecamines will be up and coming again,'' Rautenbach told Reuters in a telephone interview.
The appointment of the 38-year-old, Zimbabwean-born businessman surprised the mining world in which Rautenbach is relatively unknown.
His company, Ridgepointe Overseas Developments Ltd, is better known in auto and transportation circles, but has a mining project in the Congo. The company has previously been referred to in media and Reuter reports as Richpoint.
Nevertheless, the shakeup at Gecamines and other recent business deals involving Zimbabwean companies has fuelled speculation that Kabila is tapping his country's mineral resources to pay African allies helping the Kinshasa government fight a rebel army.
Kabila's forces have been bolstered by Angolan, Zimbabwean and Namibian soldiers battling a rebel coalition backed by Uganda and Rwanda.
Rautenbach said his appointment to Gecamines and a mine rehabilitation and management pact signed with Ridgepointe in September had nothing to do with Zimbabwe's support of Kinshasa.
''It's sad. Because I was born in Zimbabwe and I'm still a Zimbabwe citizen. They have been trying to put the two together, but it's not the case at all,'' Rautenbach said.
''I went in there (the Congo) before the conflict started. It has nothing to do with (Zibabwean president Robert) Mugabe or anything. We're not involved with individual politicians. We run a reputable business here.''
Last year, Ridgepointe made its first foray into Congo mining through a joint venture project with Gecamines. The project is 80 percent owned by its subsidiary Central Mining Group and 20 percent by Gecamines.
''We have been mining up there since October, 1997, and we have had good successes with our operation. I was asked if I would like to assist in the Gecamines operation. That's really how it happened,'' Rautenbach said.
Gecamines was once the world's fifth largest producer of copper, but three decades of mismanagement and corruption during the era of former dictator Mobutu Sese Seko led to its collapse.
Since Kabila deposed Mobutu in 1997, a number of foreign mining companies have approached the government and Gecamines with proposals to revive the copper belt, the backbone of the Congo's economy.
In one of the few deals to be finalised since Kabila came to power, South Africa's Iscor won presidential approval for its Kamoto mine venture last month.
But larger projects involving companies such as Anglo American Corp, Billiton, America Mineral Fields and Union Miniere have suffered delays due to the war and bureaucracy.
Rautenbach vowed to speed up negotiations with mining companies and make the process more ''investor friendly.''
''I'll ensure that things will move a lot more quickly than in the past,'' he said. ''Anglo or Billiton or any of these companies -- we would love to talk to them and get them there.''
Rautenbach said his strategy will focus on fighting corruption at Gecamines, cutting costs and increasing output. He set a production target of 200,000 tonnes copper and 7,000 tonnes cobalt for next year. Gecamines' current annual output is 40,000 tonnes of copper and about 4,000 tonnes of cobalt."
Regards,
Gunnar
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