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To: Tomas who wrote (222)	8/23/1998 4:53:00 AM
From: Gunnar	Respond to of 486

The view of the Kabila gov: " ORGANISATION DES NATIONS UNIES MISSION DE LA REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO Crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Presented to the UN Press Ambassador Andr‚ M. Kapanga Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press: I. Preamble When the Alliance of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of the Congo (ADFL) took power in 1997, it inherited a very dramatic situation; among some of the things it inherited were found: a bankrupt state, institutionalized predatory acts and generalized corruption. the disintegration of the economic apparatus which was aggravated by the 1991 and 1993 looting generalized insecurity and public terror orchestrated by an army that was fighting against peace in the country. continual deterioration of the standard of living which was accentuated by the recurrent epidemics and higher infant mortality rates. the disintegration of the school system These facts were coupled with the influx of Rwandan Hutu refugees in the Eastern part of the country that exacerbated the security problem at the Rwandan and Congolese borders. It is in this context that the ADFL was created with a mission to put an end to Mobutu's dictatorship which was in effect considered as the main cause of the impoverishment of the Congolese people. Given its limited resources, the ADFL welcomed military and logistic assistance given to it by friendly countries, Rwanda and Uganda included. The understanding for such cooperation was that the ADFL's war would put an end to the border insecurity that these two countries were faced with. Fifteen months after the war, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, after realizing that it had made tremendous strides in bringing order and security within its border, decided to put an end to the Rwandan military presence in its armed forces. This decision, which Kigali stated that it had accepted, was the trigger that led to the armed conflict by Rwanda against the Democratic Republic of the Congo. II. Facts As soon as the repatriation of the Rwandan soldiers was over, the Democratic Republic of the Congo was victim of armed aggression by Rwanda and its allies. Many columns of Rwandan army's trucks full of well armed Rwandan soldiers violated Congolese borders in order to take on August 2 and 3 1998 the towns of Bukavu and Goma. While those events were taking place in the Eastern part of the country, a group of Rwandan soldiers who avoided the repatriation to Rwanda, attacked the Tshiatshi and Kokolo military camps in Kinshasa. On that same night at Kisangani, another group of Rwandan soldiers who were waiting to be sent home to Rwanda opened fire on the Kisangani garrison. And to complete this tragic picture, three Boeing planes belonging to Congolese private companies were commandeered on Tuesday August 4 in Goma by James Kaberede, a Rwandan subject who until the end of July served as Chief of Staff a.i. of the Congolese Armed Forces, to transport up to 800 Rwandan soldiers to the Kitona military Base in the Western part of the Congo. Their objective was to: try to rally the support of Congolese soldiers who were undergoing military training at the base. Starve Kinshasa by taking the port of Matadi, which is vital for the Congolese capital of Kinshasa. take the hydro-electric dam of Inga which provides energy to Kinshasa, the mineral factories in Katanga and many other African countries On Sunday August 9, two armed columns made up of tanks, armored vehicles and trucks full of soldiers were on their way to the Congolese town of Bunia from Uganda. III. Responsibilities It is clear that the aggression against the DRC is the work of the coalition between Rwanda and Uganda. What people are attempting to present as a Banyamulenge insurrection is nothing else but an attempt to mask Kagame and Museveni's destabilizing enterprise and whose expansionist ideas can hardly be hidden. We hereby recognize that the Banyamulenge constitute a Congolese ethnic group whose numbers can hardly reach 50,000; this ethnic group has neither the human nor the financial resources to start a rebellion that can enflame The entire Congolese territory. The implication of Rwanda and Uganda in this conflict is in violation of the dispositions of the United Nations and the OAU's charters which recognize respectively in their articles 24 and 3 the non-violations of the borders and political independence of any state. IV. Position of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: The DRC is asking the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity to use their respective prerogatives to require an immediate withdrawal of both Rwandan and Ugandan troops from Congolese territory. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has absolutely no intention to start a war against any country. Its objective is to defend its sovereignty and its territorial integrity. Thus, if its aggressors do not pull their troops out of its territory, the DRC will use every means possible to put an end to this aggression. The DRC reiterates its desire to fully assume its responsibility in protecting any foreigners (Rwandan, Ugandan or other) who have decided to live on its soil. The rounding up that have been taking place in some cities have one and only one objective: to neutralize a network of complicity created by the aggressors. The Head of State of the DRC, President Laurent-D‚sir‚ Kabila and his government have expressed many times their determination to lead the country to a democratic system. Our wish is to see a quick end to this conflict to avoid any disturbance of the democratic process that is presently taking place. V. What is expected from the United Nations and the OAU To open an inquiry into the present aggression against the Congo in an objective and independent manner. That Rwanda and Uganda be condemned in conformity with the dispositions of the UN and OAU charters. That all means at the United Nations and the OAU's disposable be used to require the withdrawal of the Rwandan and Ugandan troops from Congolese territory. " Regards, Gunnar

To: Tomas who wrote (222)	8/23/1998 5:09:00 AM
From: Gunnar	Respond to of 486

It strikes me that it is the rebel/Rwandan - UNITA side that reports to the news agency's about the Angolan intervention, not the Kabila gov. Anyone that have an opinion about the size of the rebel/Rwandan force on the western front? Some telegrams seems to indicate that the Angolan troops are making a big sweeping movement all a long its northern border, but on it's own side first, to create what's from their point of view might be a long term solution. Will this drag UNITA deeper into the fighting? Regards, Gunnar

To: Tomas who wrote (222)	8/23/1998 5:35:00 AM
From: Gunnar	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 486

Angola captured the airport at Kiptona. Can be used to strike with the air force against the rebel/Rwandan force, that now must be desperate to reach the airport at Kinshasa. If they don't they seem to be finished. Angola has one of the best military air force in Africa, second just to South Africa's. biz.yahoo.com An alliance of DRC-Namibia-Angola seems to be to strong to oppose in the long run. Uganda has not got deep into this yet but I think that they can benefit on some kind of agreement that solves the security problems along all borders in the east. US wont back Rwanda in an alone fight against the coalition. Maybe the Rwandan side overestimated the internal problems that the Angolan gov had on it's home front? The turn-around situation is here. Regards, Gunnar