Congo Chronicle XV

Sources: ACP, Reuters, De Standaard, NRC

1998, January 5 - 18.

Interior news

Congolese government
De ministers of the new Congolese government were sworn in on January 3 in the Palais de la Nation. Before that Kabila had announced that all those among the ministers who had illegally approprieted possessions, should return these on penalty of dismissal. After that 10 ministers gave back houses and cars which they confiscates from Mobutu officials and other people at the assumption of power on May 17 of last year.
On January 16 the new government issued a declaration that indicates national security as its fifth priority. The other four are transport, agriculture, health and education. Moreover the declaration announces two conferences: the 'Conference Nationale sur la Reconstruction' (start: January 24) and the 'Conference sur la Territoriale' (Februari 12). The government also stipulates that the interdiction of activity of political parties remains valid. Concerning the judiciary it says that plans are in preparation to improve administration of justice and to combat corruption among the magistrature.

Monetary questions
On January 6 the Central Bank reportedly effectuated a harmonization of exchange rates in order to reduce regional differences in the value of the national currency, the nouveau zaire (NZ). The exchange rate in Lubumbashi now is 120.000- 125.000 NZ to $1, and in Kinshasa 105.000-111.000 NZ to $1. The purpose is to attain the same rate for the whole country before the introduction of a new currency, the Congolese Franc.
The introduction of the new currency has been retarded because the subsidiary of the Swedish Central Bank, that had been asked to print the new bank notes, gave up. Moreover, the Belgian Central Bank, that had offered technical assistance for the monetary reform, wants to wait for approval from IMF.

Constitution
The constitutional commission has resumed its work after a break during the Christmas holidays, in which several members of the commission traveled through the country to sound out opinions among the population. The aim is to present a draft constitution to the President on the next first of May.

Arrests of Mobutists
On Januari 12 mr Bemba, an influential business man under the Mobutu regime, was arrested for a third time. After the former arrests he has been released after employing his fortune to support the reconstruction of the country. At this moment more than 30 mobutists, ex-bosses of state companies and ex-ministers, are staying in prison. Last month the first court sessions were held against Kikunda Ombala, the former director of the bankrupt airline company Air Zaire, on accusation of corruption and misappropriation of funds.

Commemoration of Patrice Lumumba
On January 17 a gathering was held under presidence of Kabila in the Palais des Nations to commemorate the assasination of Lumumba (1960, January 17), that was attended by thousands of people: members of youth- and womenorganisations, grass roots organisations, cultural unions, and AFDL support groups.

National Reconstruction Conference
This conference, that will be held from January 24 till February 18 in Kinshasa, is getting support from several foreign governments and international institutions: Canada, USA (via USAID), Germany, Belgium en some UN-organisations as UNDP, UNICEF, etc. Other countries have shown their interest: Great Britain, the Netherlands, South Africa and the EU.
The conference has been prepared on provincial level by grass roots conferences, which have formulated recommendations, for example: more realistic wage scales for public servants, prevention of interference of the executive power with other powers, and improvement of local economies. Several Congolese exiles from Europe (the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Switserland) will attend the conference.

Mining

Kolwezi/American Mineral Fields
About the Kolwezi copper project and the alleged contract between the Congolese company Gecamines and AMF,the American website NCN has given false information. About this issue Gecamines has published a clear and detailed communication that can be found at ACP (in french) and NCN (in english). Summarizing one can say that, although American Mineral Fields committed fraud with regard to Gecamines documents, the project is still open. AMF will talk again with Gecamines about the project shortly.

Tenke Fungurume
Concerning the Tenke Funkurume mining project, the Canadian Tenke Mining Corporation has declared (Business Wire, January 5), that its contract with the Congolese state is sure and the relationship between Tenke Mining Corp. and Gecamines and the government is excellent. There were some rumours that it wasn't, but this rumours are incorrect. TMF holds 55% of the shares and has controle of the Board. The remainder of the shares are owned by Gecamines.The estimation is that because of newly found resources the production can be doubled.

"Global Development of Mining in Kolwezi"
President Kabila announced an important mining deal on television on January 14. It concerns an agreement between Gecamines and a consortium of foreign companies for mining in the southern Kolwezi area. (N.B.not the same area as the "AMF-area".) The consortium includes Australian, Asian, Belgian, Canadian, Chinese, European and South African based mining companies. The deal would cover a vast 22 000 sq km of copper.

Mineral wealth
The mineral reserve of copper and cobalt in the province Katanga values near $ 85 billion according to running researches: Kolwezi accounts for $ 10 billion, and Fungurume for $75 billion. These estimations are temporary, because the research goes on.

Inundations

In Kisangani there has been an outbreak of cholera because of the flooding; more than 200 people already died because of this disease. After the river inundated a large part of the town, international humanitary organisations have offered help to more than 7000 homeless persons in the region of Kisangani. But also in other parts of the country the flooding took its toll: Kalemie (South-eastern Congo) is isolated from the rest of the coutry because a bridge is destroyed by the power of the flood; in Mbandaka there is also mention of floodings; in Kinshasa three persons were killed by the flood.
The correspondent of NRC(14/1/98) reports that great parts of Eastern Africa are ravaged by heavy rains and cholera; he adds: "The El-Nino effect is far from finished, the weather forecasts in Kenya announce still several weeks of rain."
The Congolese government has formed a crisis team to support relief given by mainly international organisations.

Hutu rebels

In the Great Lakes region security is menaced by Hutu militia originated from Rwanda, Burundi, and Eastern Congo, actually allied in a campaign against the Tutsi. Some facts:
- On december 11, 1997 more than 250 Tutsi refugees from Congo were murdered in the Mudende camp in Rwanda.
- On januari 12, 9 nuns were killed in a convent near the Rwandese town Ruerere.
Many of these Hutu militia belong to the group of "refugees" who have been driven back to Rwanda by Kabila in November 1996. It is not yet clear how these massacres, which also take place in Burundi, can be stopped. The Rwanda army reportedly is in continuous struggle with Hutu; on january 12, 18 rebels were killed.

French support to Hutu murderers
Recently, more has become known about support given by France to the Hutu regime during the genocide of 1994. The Belgian newspaper De Standaard quotes a recent article in the French newspaper Le Figaro: Up to one and a half month after the beginning of the genocide (on April 6, 1994) France continued to cooperate politically with the then Rwandese regime, that started the genocide. Via French intermediaries the then Rwandese army (FAR) could count on arms supplies. Following Le Figaro, the French government continued its support till end of May, as genocide was raging. E.g., on May 3 an airplane landed in former Zaire with $ 942.680 worth arms supplies in its hold. The French firm DYL mediated in this arms deal. On May 6, 1994 Sofremas (societe francaise d'exportation de materiel et de systemes d'armement) confirmed an order of arms, worth $ 8.028.000, to Rwanda. The arms deliveries went on in spite of the arms embargo proclaimed by the UN on May 17 against Rwanda. Contrary to claims from the French Ministry of Defense, that since the start of the "Operation Turquoise" , June 23, no more weapons had been delivered, according to Le Figaro an airplane landed in Goma on July 18, 1994 containing arms at the value of $ 754.645. The genocide did cost the lives of about 800.000 Tutsi.