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