MEDIA REACTION DROC PEACE TALKS; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 001032

SIPDIS

AF/PD FOR COX AND ROBERTSON, AF/S FOR KRAFT AND
SCHLACHTER, AF/RA FOR DIPALMA, INR/R/MR, NSC FOR
JENDAYI FRAZER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ZI PREL PHUM
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION DROC PEACE TALKS; HARARE



1. Under headline "DRC dialogue, the Sun City
Agreement holds," the independent weekly "The Zimbabwe
Mirror" dedicated its April 26 editorial to urging DRC
talks facilitator, Sir Ketumile Masire, to "persuade
RCD-Goma (Rally for Congolese Democracy)" to accept
the partial peace settlement reached at Sun City in
South Africa, in order to promote peace in the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Excerpts:


2. ". . .The hope for lasting peace in the DRC was
rekindled by the UN announcement on 24 April that
the UN Security Council supports the partial
agreement between the Kinshasa government of Joseph
Kabila and one rebel group, the MLC (Congolese
Liberation Movement)
. . .The Kabila government has announced that they
are happy with a partial deal that they say is
better than no deal at all. To all positive
thinking people, the political cup of the DRC is
now half full, and not half empty. . . Another
disturbing signal coming from Sun City is the
unfortunate position taken by the talks'
facilitator, Sir Ketumile Masire. Masire was
reported to have decided to side with RCD-Goma in
refusing to accept the partial deal. . . It is
baffling to see the mediator of a potentially
explosive situation such as that of the DRC, siding
with the groups that are calling for a return to
war. . . Any positive move, no matter how small,
should be clutched and guarded jealously. And, the
deal between the Kabila government and the MLC is
not a small deal at all.

"It seems as if by refusing to accept that deal,
the facilitators had missed one of the highlights
of the Congolese Internal Dialogue. We therefore
congratulate the UN for the timely statement
released by the President of the Security Council.
. .in support of the DRC partial agreement. This
is the first time that the UN has acted swiftly and
timely since the DRC conflict started in 1998. It
could be another sign that Africa is back on the
'world' agenda! It is our hope that Sir Ketumile
Masire would now persuade RCD-Goma to join the
transitional government in order to promote peace
not only in the DRC, but in the whole of Southern
Africa."

SULLIVAN