MEDIA REACTION DRC PEACE PROCESS; HARARE

UNCLAS HARARE 001783 SIPDIS DEPT FOR INR/R/MR, AF/PD, AF/S E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR PREL KPAO ZI SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION DRC PEACE PROCESS; HARARE ¶1. An editorial published in the August 4 edition of the independent weekly "The Sunday Mirror" and an opinion peace published in the August 3 edition of government-controlled daily "The Herald" focus on the recent signing of the peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. Excerpts: ¶2. Under headline "DRC peace pact: The cleansing of Rwanda?" the independent weekly "The Sunday Mirror" (08/04) comments: ". . .Sadly, neither the Lusaka Accord nor the Sun City Agreement managed to stop the DRC conflict, and in both cases Rwanda and its surrogate forces, the rebel group RCD-Goma, continued to fuel the crisis. Now that there is an agreement, which specifically addresses Rwanda's security concerns, many commentators have expressed the hope that peace will come to the DRC at last. The question though, is, why put so much effort in appeasing Rwanda when it is so clear that they are the aggressors. . .? It should therefore be made clear from the beginning, that by signing the Pretoria agreement, Rwanda is not automatically absolved of the horrors that it perpetrated in the DRC. The case before the International Court of Justice must still be heard, and Rwanda must still pay reparations to the DRC for the invasion and for all the suffering it caused. Also, now that the DRC is on the road to peace, the international community should now focus on Rwanda. Why has this small country caused so much suffering not only to its own people in the 1994 genocide, but also in the DRC since 1998? There is a clear need for internal soul searching in Rwanda. An Inter-Rwandese Dialogue may not be a bad idea after all!" ¶3. Under headline "Signing of accord set to bring peace to DRC" the government-controlled daily "The Herald" (08/03) carried the following op-ed by Tim Chigodo: "The people of the DRC should feel relieved following the signing of a peace accord to end the four-year devastating war in the Great Lakes region. The peace agreement signed by President Joseph Kabila of the DRC and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda in South Africa on July 30 after marathon negotiations should finally bring the brutal war, in which more than 2 million people have been killed and several others displaced, to an end. Although some analysts are wary of the success of the accord following the failure of the Lusaka agreement, the commitment shown by the DRC and Rwanda leaders now should lead to cessation of hostilities. . .Other analysts said the recent accord was likely to succeed because it had the blessing of the United States, France and the former colonial power Belgium who have in the past created problems. Political sources close to the deal said the three countries had pledged support for the recent peace agreement. . .Until a lasting solution to the DRC war is found, peace cannot be guaranteed in southern Africa. . . ." WHITEHEAD