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South Africa Hails Uganda for Withdrawing Troops From DR Congo

New Vision (Kampala)
NEWS
April 29, 2003
Posted to the web April 29, 2003
Kampala
SOUTH Africa has hailed Uganda for the withdrawing her troops from the war-torn
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Jude Etyang writes that South African High Commissioner to Uganda Bavumille
Vilakazi also praised Uganda for overseeing the establishment of the Ituri
Pacification Commission.
Vilakazi was on Sunday addressing government and foreign mission dignitaries
during celebrations to mark the Ninth Anniversary of South Africa Freedom
(National) Day at his residence in Kololo, a Kampala suburb.
Present were the US ambassador Jimmy Kolker, French Jean Benard Thiant, German
Klaus Holderbaum and Egyptian Maasoum Marzouk, among others.
The Minister of Education and Sports, Dr Khiddu Makubya, represented the
Government.
"Uganda's role in overseeing of the Ituri Pacification Commission Establishment
and the subsequent unconditional withdrawal from the Eastern DRC needs to be
applauded." Vilakzai said.
He added that it was hoped that Uganda's move would contribute positively
towards assisting the Congolese to rebuild themselves.
The Ituri Pacification Commission (IPC) with 177 members from DRC, Angola,
Uganda and the UN was inaugurated on April 4.
The IPC's task involves instituting a new administrative authority.
The first batch of 1,000 UPDF troops returned from Congo last week as part of a
phased withdrawal.

   

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