Congo Chronicle 16

January 19 - February 1 1998

Agriculture

The new minister of agriculture, Mawapanga, pursues a form of selfsustaining food production for the country. This is reported by ACP on January 22. His Program for the Revival of the Agriculture (1997-2001) that will be carried out in collaboration with the PNUD (UN Development Program), strives for a balanced basic food package for the whole population within the next four years. Every province has therefore to produce a certain quantity of food to remove the food arrears of its population. Mawapanga points in his Program to the expected aid of the "Friends of Congo", promised at the Worldbank meeting on December 3 and 4, 1997.

Besides, the minister will concentrate on three important export products: coffee, cacao, and cinchona. Specially the export of coffee, originally the most important agricultural export product of Congo, must increase, its production being reduced the last years from 60 000 ton per annum till 35 000 ton in 1997. Many plantations in the Province Oriental and Equateur are neglected or deserted and sometimes altered into military camps.

Mining

The minister of mining, Kibassa Maliba, hosted some Western diplomats to probe their preparedness to support mining production. Marcus Hope, the British ambassador, made clear that Great Britain will intensify its relations with Congo and some British private enterprises will soon start investments. The other diplomats, from Canada, USA and Belgium, showed interest in cooperation with the Congolese government.

On January 20, the Congolese gold firm of Kilo-Moto signed a protocol with the Australian Russell Resource Group for the so called Concession 40. The RRG undertakes to pay a yearly amount of $ 4 million and also to supply some $ 5 million technical equipment.

Support from roman catholic side

The permanent council of the episcopal conference has been received in audience by president Kabila on January 27.On this occasion, the archbishop of Goma, Mgr. Ngabu, for the moment president of the episcopate, promised support for the aims of the government with respect to national recovery and reconciliation.

The catholic organisation Caritas has also pronounced his intention to participate in the reconstruction of the country. Caritas has a network of medical facilities all over the country and represents one fourth of the national health care, declared the president of Caritas to ACP.

Kivu

During the week of 25 January Kabila visited Kivu. ACP reported (1-28) that in Bukavu, capital of Southern Kivu, Kabila talked with several military and civil authorities about the insecurity in the region. He addressed himself specially to the traditional chiefs (Bami) in Kivu asking them to support the central government politics. The chiefs should promote peaceful cohabitation between different ethnic groups and not make a distinction between Banyamulenge (Tutsi) and others. Kabila said that the Mayi-Mayi are insurgents against the legal government. They have connection with international ngo's, embassy's, and religious groups. The ex-FAR and Interahamwe, still present, contribute to the insecurity in Kivu, Kabila said.
Kabila promised to work on the security and peace. The government officials will get some 600 cars to control the extensive region. In Bukavu reconstruction of the road network and the airport will be started in cooperation with some foreign enterprises.

The minister of State, Gaetan Kakudji, visited Kivu too. On January 19, he admitted that there is a lot of serious trouble.

Four persons were arrested: Desire Kabare Rugemaninzi and Pierre Ndatabaye Weza, both traditional chiefs, and Bulangalire and Rugamika, both rectors of evangelical universities. They are accused of relations with the Mayi-Mayi.

Detention, executions, "mutiny".

Two members of UDPS, Kalele and Kabanda, have been sentenced by a military court to 2 years of hard labour because of incitement of the population against the new government. The State demanded 15 years of hard labour.

The Belgian citizan, Patrick Claes, in arrest since end of August last year, is permitted to leave prison, but stays under house arrest. Claes, who was director of Sizarail, a railway company privatized under Mobutu, is accused of misappropriating public money.

Some other ex-servants of Mobutu have also left prison and are put under house arrest: Djamboleka, ex-governor of the Central Bank, Kikunda Umbala, ex-director of Air Zaire, Tshiongo Tshibinkubula wa Tumba, ex-director of the waterworks Regideso.

On January 27, 21 persons who were sentenced to death by the military court, have been executed. They had been charged with the following criminal offenses: armed robbery, forming of gangs, and murder.

On January 24 Western media mentionned a mutiny of military in the port area of Matadi. The security council of the province Bas-Congo however denied this assertion: the council declared that foreign news agencies had blown up the affair, and that it only concerned a quarrel among some soldiers.

Flooding

The problems, caused by the enormous rains of the last period, continue to be huge. ACP mentionned the following calamities:
The region in West Kasai between Kananga and Mbuyi Mayi is menaced by erosion.
The region around Bandundu threatens to be cut off from food supply as a consequence of roads being swept away.
Between Bukavu and Uvira there are landslides.
The railway bridge between Kalemie and Kindu has been damaged by the flood.
In the Equator province 7o people have died by the flooding. The governor of this province announced to be worried about the quality of the drinking water in Mbandaka and that he has warned the inhabitants for cholera.
In Kisangani relief is given by a national committtee, the mining corporation Miba and several international organisations. Health minister, Dr Sonji, paid a visit to Kisangani on January 26 in order to discuss the consequences of the cholera epidemy with the local authorities.

International contacts

Kampala summit
President Kabila assisted on January 23/24 a summit of 13 African leaders in the Ugandan capital Kampala. The states represented were,apart from Uganda and the DRC, Tanzania, Eritrea, Ruanda, Mozambique, Zambia, Senegal, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa and Ethiopia.Problems of security and economic development were discussed in the presence of Mr James Wolfensohn, the president of the Worldbank.

Respects to ministers or governors, paid by diplomats
The Canadian ambassador, Verona Edelstein, paid her respects to the Congolese minister of Planning, Mbayi, on January 20. She promised Canadian assistance to the triennial government project. In addition she invited the minister of Health, Dr Sondji, for a visit to Canada in order to meet with medical experts.
Marcus Hope, ambassador of Great Britain, was received in audience by president Kabila on January 19. He said that his government wants to mediate at the European Union for the benefit of Congo.Hope invited the minister of Foreign Affairs, Bizima Karaha, to come to London in the last week of January.
The American Ambassador, Daniel Simpson, who will leave in two months, visited Kivu on January 20. In Bukavu he talked with the governor and the deputy governor. The U.S. appreciate the cooperation with the Congolese government, according to Simpson. By means of USAID, the official American relief organisation, the U.S. contribute to the recovery of the infrastructure in Kivu.
The Italian ambassador, Pietro Baliero, visited Kivu too on January 20. The Italian government wants to cooperate in the field of the parastatals. Proposals for cooperation must in his view be made by the Congolese themselves.

Visit to Paris
The governor of the National Bank, Massangu Mulongo, has departed to Paris for a visit of 8 days, ACP informs without some further explanation.

Chinese delegation
A Chinese delegation, lead by Mr Zhang Jinjiu, chairman of Norinco, a Chinese armement group, has arrived in Kinshasa on January 30. It will complete the negotiations started last month in Beijing between Congo and China.

U.N.
The U.N.High Commisioner of Human Rights will organize meetings for all ministeries next month. The aim is consciousness- raising for government officials and the institution of a inter- ministerial committee for human rights.

The UNHCR has promised a $ 200 000 support for the Equateur Province. This will be spent for repairing ferry-boats, drains, clinics and official residences.

Worldbank
A representative of the Worldbank, Jean Doyen, visited Kinshasa on January 30. He studied the projects that will be supported by the Friends of Congo: road network, municipal cleansing, drainage. It is esteemed that these projects can start between June and July after the second meeting of the Friends in Stockholm, on March 6 .