Congo Chronicle XII
november 10 - 23, 1997
sources: NCN, De Standaard, NRC, Reuters, ACP
UN-investigation on the murder of the Hutu refugees
The three leaders of the UN-team been returned in Kinshasa on
tuesday november 11. Their intention is to make first some
appointments with the Congolese government and then to start the
investigation in different parts of the country. The Congolese
government has set up an interministerial liaison group to
cooperate with the UN team led by Emmanuel Kamanzi. In the next
days no meeting with these liaison group has taken place; so some
media spoke again of new problems between the UN-team and the
government of Kabila. But on november 18, there was a meeting
between the UN-team and the ministers Mr. Karaha and Mr. Kongolo,
respectively of Foreign Affairs and Interior.
Garreton UN-report / reaction of Kapanga
On november 11, Reuters mentions the recent publication of a very
critical report by UN rapporteur Roberto Garreton. In Congo, the
regime has eliminated the civil rights to life, liberty and
physical integrity, the report says. The right of political
participation is suspended, no measures are taken to ensure the
economic, social and cultural rights. About the Tutsi, Garreton
says, that "one ethnic group predominates over hundreds of
others, while the new armed forces and police are at the services
of the political and ethnic power group in the government."
(note: This report of Garreton seems us a somewhat outdated. In
the meantime the government of Kabila has taken steps towards
democratic development, like the institution of the
Constitutional Committee. It is also clear from many sources that
the power of Tutsi has decreased and perhaps nearly totally
pushed back.Thus, Garreton's remarks do not agree with the
current events.
Anyway, the Dutch Television (TROS-2Vandaag) has focused on Congo
because of the appearance of the Garreton report.In an emission
on wednesday november 12, accusations were made again towards
the Kabila government concerning the murder of Hutu refugees.
It gave a very negative image of the developments in Congo.
Congo-Ned sent to the TROS a copy of the confidential UNHCR
message about murders committed by the Hutu militia on their own
people. So we hope that the partiality of the media will be
adjusted.)
The UN Ambassador of Congo, Mr Andre Kapanga, sent a letter to
the UN Secretary General on november 14, asking for the
withdrawal of the Garreton report. He says that the report
undermines the investigation of the UN team now in Kinshasa.The
report is superficial and partial, consequence of the fact that
the rapporteur has been in Congo for one day only, the Ambassador
says.
Mobutu
The German television ZDF transmitted information about a mass
of gold hidden by a son of Mobutu on different places in Gambia.
This son, Kongolo, who was the leader of the DSP, has brought
this gold to Gambia in the latest years of life of his father.It
concerns 6 tons of gold worth $ 90 million.For some time now
between 80 to 100 kilo of this gold has been sold on
international markets. There are allegations that part of the
proceeds were being used to finance a military challenge to the
Kabila government.
Francophonie
On november 14 a three day summit of 49 francophone countries
started in Hanoi, Vietnam, under chairmanship of the french
president mr Chirac. The Francophonie not only wants to promote
French culure, but is also a means to strengthen political
influence of France in the world. The structure has been
reinforced by the appointment of mr Boutros Ghali as secretary
general of the Francophonie. Kabila did not appear at the summit,
although Congo (RDC) is the second largest francophone country
in the world. At the Congolese state radio Information Minister,
Raphael Ngenda, told that Congo wants to stay independent. In his opinion the
Francophonie is a form of neocolonialism. The french minister for
development aid, mr Josselin, regrets the attitude of Congo
saying it is a task for Boutros Ghali to restore the relations
with Congo. Lateron Kabila said to the press that the Congolese
government had not yet an official stand about the Francophonie.
Society
Direct information from Congo
is now coming via Internet. The
Congolese press agency ACP produces regular messages about
actualities in Congo. We reproduce some of it here:
* On november 14 a press conference was held by 5 ministers. The
minister for Planning and Development gave an explanation of the
governments three-year plan. Priority is give to acces to energy
and to medical care. The population is called on to pay there
water and electricity bills. Fraud and other abuses in the energy
companies, SNEL and REGIDESO, will be suppressed. Peoples
comittees will be formed to participate in the controll of the
use of water and electricity. The office that has to look after
the confiscation of goods that were improperly obtained by
members of the old regime, was severely adressed by the minister
of Justice. The ministry will pronounce itself about the
rightfulness of all confiscations.
* In Kinshasa the controll of the markets has been improved. For
each market there will be a comittee to controll the activities
of the AFDL cells on the market concerned. The task of these AFDL
cells is to see that the policy of the Kabila government is
brought into practice. It concerns especially the payment of
municipal taxes and the combat of fraud. The AFDL members have
to behave exemplariously, otherwise they will be prosecuted.
* The president of the AFDL section Bandalungwa (Kinshasa)
reports that already 15.000 new members have presented themselves
in his district.
* In Kinshasa the governor of Eastern Province, mr Jean Yagi
Sitolo, has installed the national police for his province. It
has to look after the security of the population; it has been
instructed about the principles of justice, said Sitolo. He also
called upon the new director of the contributions to abstain from
harassment of businessmen and other taxpayers. In Kisangani
children between 0 and 5 years have vaccinated for more than
100%; more children than registered presented themselves for the
vaccination. Its concerns vaccination against polio and scarlet
fever. It takes place in the whole country.
On november 19, Kabila has given a press conference. He adressed
particularly the Congolese journalists. He does not ask of them
blind obedience, but objectivity and responsability.
These properties are important more than ever now the country is
in a period of national reconstruction. Kabila answered a great
number of questions.Obviously the foreign press was also present;
on november 19, the correspondent of the Dutch paper NRC writes
: "Kabila presents himself to the Congolese people" .
Concerning the problems of North and South Kivu, Kabila said a
committee has been constituted by the government to resolve the
ethnic tensions in these provinces. But it takes a lot of time
to finish this work.
Recently, two organisations have published reports about the Kivu
troubles: the international World Food Organisation and the
Belgian National Committee for Cooperation and Development.
It seems that the Mai Mai together with ex-FAR and ex-FAZ
military are fighting against the Congolese army, causing many
victims among the civilians in Kivu.
(note: We are happy that Kabila and his government manifest more
openly to the population: it was the first time that Kabila held
a press conference ; the members of his government also give more
often interviews. Besides, the website of ACP contains much
information. So we get some first hand news now. To stay as
broadly orientated as possible, we will continue to follow the
other media too.)
Business
There seem to be problems with the contracts between Kabila and
American Mineral Fields. The contract about the exploitation of
the Kolwezi coppermine was signed by Kabila and AMF in april 1997
provisionally. Kabila now wants to revise this contract.
Probably the convention of april 1997 was not very advantageous
for Congo; at that moment Kabila has signed too quickly because
of his need of money for the war. The representative of AMF said
to the press on november 15, that AMF is waiting for the formal
ratification of the contract by the Congolese government.
The Canadian company Banro Resources has carried out
investigations after the resources of diamond near Twangiza in
Kivu.
The Belgian Forestgroup has signed a joint venture with the state
company Gecamines for the exploitation of copper and cobalt in
Luiswishi near Lubumbashi.
In the Belgian newspaper De Standaard of november 21 an
interesting article appeared by the Belgian economist Jef Maton.
Maton, a wellknown Zaire/Congo expert, praises the three-years
plan for the reconstruction by the Kabila government. Central
issues, besides the restarting of the mine industry, are the
reconstruction of the infrastructure, basic medical care,
education and security. Maton warns that there will be serious
problems if the international community continues to deny help
to Congo. In his report Maton says that if reconstruction
succeeds, the BNP of Congo may raise in the end of 1999 to the
same level as in 1992. International aid should be directed to
the improvement of the infrastructure in order to create new
development in agriculture. Writing about the donor conference
of "Les Amis du Congo" on december 3 in Brussels under the
auspices of World Bank, he urges to relief of the foreign dept
of Congo, that was created by the Mobutu regime. The Kabila
government has recognised that dept but, for good reasons in
Maton's opinion, askes for rearrangement. Maton thinks that the
Friends of Congo should take over a part of the dept to World
Bank and IMF. He is concerned about what he calls the gamblers-
market of Toronto. Speculators from Toronto continue to pay their
respects in Kinshasa [Note: Probably he means AMF.] They are
playing games -partly with US government support- on the basis
of contracts they succeeded to wheedle during the beginning of
the war. Maton:"The longer this play goes on, the longer the mine
industry will have to wait for reconstruction. Also, the longer
the Congolese state has to do without the tax contributions from
this crucial industrial sector."
In the context of the donor conference also the report the
Bechtel Corporation recently offered to Kabila is important. It has been
called the "Marshall Plan for Congo". Initial estimates are that
Congo's mineral resources are worth $157 billion. Seven major
sources of wealth can be developed immediately:
* copper and cobalt in the southeast;
* daimonds in the south;
* gold and tin in the east;
* hydro-electric power in the Congo River;
* oil in the west;
* cash crops througout;
* forestry througout.
There are secundary plans for an improved railway system to
connect Matadi to other sections of the country, to build roads,
schools etc. Bechtel recommends to contact recognized experts to
support the program. The whole plan aims to set the Congolese
economy into motion quickly, and to create a market-oriented
economy in the long run. The Congolese government has not yet
given a reaction on the plan. The expectation is that the Bechtel
plan will play a role at the donor conference on december 3.
It is not clear yet how the international community will react
to the aid question of the Congolese government. In the Dutch
paper NRC news correspondent Koert Lindijer writes: "Europe is
divided about Kabila's Congo." According to France Kabila has to
meet three conditions before financial aid can be granted. ( The
UN investigation must be completed, democracy must be introduced,
and the civil rights must be maintained.)
At a meeting of the American Congress
the US Ambassador to the UN, Bill Richardson, has argued a
financial aid of $ 100 million for the Congolese government.
In a letter to the Dutch Parliament (11/11), Minister Pronk
informs circumstantially about his visit to Congo, october 19
- 20.
At the end of his letter he says: " Assistance of the
international community to Congo is necessary. At the one side
there is a great need for humanitarian and rehabilitation aid
for the Congolese population (...). On the other side it is
necessary to give technical assistance to the Congolese
government in support of the formulation of policies. These two
forms of assistance can in my opinion start directly.(...)
For the beginning and resumption of more structural cooperation
the start of the UN-investigation is of great importance. The
availabity of the results of this investigation must not be a
condition in advance.
Pronk considers the donor meeting of the "Amis du Congo"
as a forum for a substantial discussion about the necessary
development strategy of the Congolese government.On the basis of
this discussion one can agree a frame-work for international
cooperation.On the meeting a concrete plan for aid must be
formed, according to Minister Pronk.
Information about Congo from the US Ambassador.
NCN informs about an interesting discussion with the US
Ambassador to Congo, Mr Daniel Simpson. He too hopes that the
donor meeting will be a success. The US has planned only $ 35 -
40 million aid to Congo for 1998. It's remarkable that Simpson
says that exiles should go home to get involved in the
reconstruction of their country. There is substantial freedom
of speech, political parties, probably numbering at least 15, are
very active they have offices and are putting articles in the
newspapers.
(note: These remarks of Mr Simpson seem in contradiction with
the
events of saturday november 22. A political meeting of the UDPS
was broken up and a collaborator of Tshisekedi was arrested)
Mr Simpson further told that there is a important support for
Kabila from the neighbouring countries.The South-South relation
is developing well.See also:chronicle
11