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Obasanjo Hosts Peace Talks With Congo, Rwanda

This Day (Lagos)
NEWS
June 25, 2004
Posted to the web June 25, 2004

By Josephine Lohor
Abuja
President Olusegun Obasanjo would today in Abuja host peace talks between
Presidents Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Paul
Kagame of Rwanda.
Tensions between both countries have increased recently after the President of
Congo accused Rwanda of supporting one of the rebel leaders, Colonel Jules
Mutbusi, who had captured Bukava, a town in Congo, and fled to neighbouring
Rwanda.
Obasanjo, who was named the pioneer Chairman of the Peace and Security Council
of the African Union (AU) at its recent inaugural meeting in Addis Ababa, had
stoped over in Kinshasha on his way back from Lusaka last week to confer with
Kabila.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mrs.
Oluremi Oyo, who made the disclosure of the peace talks yesterday, said
Obasanjo would host the peace talks as a continuation of his efforts aimed at
achieving lasting peace and political stability in all parts of Africa.
Oyo also stated that the President has also been in constant dialogue with both
Kagame and Kabila to resolve differences between their governments, adding that
the peace meeting in Abuja is expected to consolidate the progress made so far.
The rebel leader was reported to have fled to Rwanda with about 300 disarmed
men, just as the unrest was posing a great threat to the survival of Congo,
which has spent the last five years in war.
While the United States has announced that it would send an envoy to Rwanda and
Congo out of its concern about the build up of forces in Eastern Congo, the
President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, has described the likelihood of war
between both countries as "potentially catastrophic."
Obasanjo had only recently mediated on the crisis between former Presidents of
Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda and Fredrick Chiluba respectively and the incumbent
President of that country, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa during his official visit to
Zambia.

   

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