And further to that
Congo truce in offing - Chiluba
February 3, 1999
by Times Reporter
Lusaka - Peace will return to war-ravaged Democratic Republic of Congo by the end of this month as warring factions have shown willingness to cease hostilities, President Chiluba announced yesterday. Mr. Chiluba said this when he arrived at the Lusaka International Airport from a one-day visit to Congo where he held talks with his Congolese counterpart Laurent Kabila.
Congolese nationals who gave Mr. Chiluba a rousing welcome, lining up the entire route from the airport into Kinshasa told the President they wanted peace immediately as they were tired of war. Mr. Chiluba said Mr. Kabila also prodded him to move faster on ensuring a ceasefire was implemented. "I think the process won't be as difficult as we thought it could be.
There is willingness on the part of everyone. I got the encouragement from the president who asked me to ensure we move faster to ensure implementation of a ceasefire," he said. To avoid disappointments, the two committees set up in Lusaka last month to work on implementation of a ceasefire and to examine security concerns raised by Congo and its neighbours, were already performing their functions. "We do not want to set dates for implementation of a ceasefire, but all I can say is, with the help of God, nothing will go beyond this month.
We should put everything in place," Mr. Chiluba said. It was encouraging that Mr. Kabila had allowed formation of political parties, a move which would help remove hostilities. President Chiluba said there should not be speculation on what would follow after allowing formation of political parties but all people should hope for the better.
Mr. Chiluba disclosed he had been in touch with many leaders involved in the Congo issue alluding to his recent visit to Zimbabwe where he met President Robert Mugabe to discuss the peace process as one of the fruitful meetings. He has contacted by telephone presidents Pasteur Bizimungu of Rwanda, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Sam Nujoma of Namibia and other leaders to brief them on the goings on in the peace pursuit initiative. He would be meeting President Nelson Mandela of South Africa sometime this month in his continued consultations. And Zambia has suspended exports of products to the Congo because of continued war in that country.
Trade, Commerce and Industry Minister David Mpamba disclosed this in Lusaka yesterday when Seychelles foreign affairs minister Jeremie Bonnelame paid a courtesy call on him. Mr. Mpampa said the Congo conflict had affected Zambia's market resulting in the country recording heavy losses. He said their was need to find a solution to end the conflict.
Continued charges by the Angolan government that Zambia was supplying arms to the rebel Unita movement were unfounded, reiterating that people with any information on the airlifting of arms to Jonas Savimbi's movement deduce evidence to clear the air on the matter. Mr. Bonnelame expressed happiness with investment opportunities in Zambia.
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