Sources: ACP, NCN, Congonline, Le Soir, De Standaard
- The Minister of Health, Dr Sondji, has received 32 tons of medicines from the UNICEF for the benefit of the Bas-Congo population that has suffered greatly from the war.
- The Commission for Institutional Reform has accepted an internal code. This Commission has been introduced by President Kabila on September 21 to study the draft-constitution. It consists of 12 members conducted by the Minister of Justice, Mwenze Kongolo.
-In Tripoli (Libya) a small summit of representatives from Chad, Niger and Erythrea has taken place under the leadership of President Khadafi.They talked about the possibility of intervention troops to stop the conflict in Congo. Khadafi has promised logistical and financial support to the armies of Chad and Sudan. He has also had a meeting with President Museveni of Uganda.
- Punia, a place 200 km north from Kindu, is reportedly conquered by the rebels.
-The EU envoy for the Great Lakes region, Aldo Ajello, visited a number of African countries (Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Angola and Rwanda). He spoke in favour of a dialogue between the belligerants.
- Sudan appeals to the international community for condemning the agression of Uganda and Rwanda
- Germany has made a donation of $300.000 for the population of Kinshasa. The Spanish organisation Caritas Espagnol sent $100.000 of foods. Caritas America is willing to help restoring the damage caused by the war in Bas-Congo.
-The export of diamond has diminished in August by 13.02% with respect to July.
- Kabila has departed to Nigeria for a talk with President Abubakar. The Nigerian president rejects foreign agression, but will give no military assistance to Congo.
- The fightings around Kindu have intensified. The rebels allegedly control a landing strip near Kalima, 80 km north-east of Kindu, which they may use for air attacks. The rebels have conquered some places around Kisangani: Ubundu, 105 km south and Buta, 110 km north of Kisangani. The population of Isiro, 370 km north-east of Kisangani has fled into the forest. Dungu, near the border with Sudan, has been plundered by SPLA-soldiers; Sudanese refugees have been sent back home. Mai-Mai groups have occupied the town after that [information from MISNA].
- Minister of Foreign Affairs, Okoto Lolakombe, is visiting Brussels. He was travelling back from New York, where he adressed the UN and asked to condemn the agression by Uganda and Rwanda.
- 27 European NGO's have asked their governments to contribute in order to stop the war and to revive the democratic process in Congo. It concerns organisations associated to the REC, Reseau Europeen Congo, established in Brussels.
- Commander Kalume Numbi, former head of the Service Nationale, has been appointed vice-minister of Defense.
- NCN informs about a plot of UNITA and Tutsi military, who are fighting in the Angolan province Uige against the Angolan national army.
- The Congolese Minister of State, Gaetan Kakudji, is in a Belgian hospital for medical treatment.
- Tshisekedi has been invited by the Europarliament for 28 October to give an explanation to the memorandum, that he sent to the UN (on 4 September). Tshisekedi wants a consultation of all Congolese political forces, including the rebels, under the auspices of the UN and SADC.
-Kabila has arrived in Lubumbashi to discuss the situation with
President Mugabe of Zimbabwe.
The special envoy of the UN secretary-general, Berlanu Dinka,
talked earlier with Kabila in Kinshasa.
- The UNHCR announces not to be in a position to assist the displaced people in the regions occupied by the rebels.
-According to the Minister of Justice, Mwenze Kongolo, Rwandese Tutsi are brought from Rwanda to the plateau's of Uvira (South Kivu) and to Walikale and Masisi. The Congolese population in that region is chased away.
-The human rights organisation ASADHO sent a letter to the UN and the OAU. They propose regional negotiations under the leadership of the UN and the OAU, supported by France, USA, Belgium and Great Brittain. The Congolese society must return to the results of the National Conference ( which was held from 1991 - 1995).
- NCN reports that the rebels are now between Samba (South Kivu) and Lubao (Eastern Kasai) going in the direction of Mbuji Mayi.
-The governor of South Kivu, Jean Magabe, has escaped to Belgium. According to him, the Congolese population is suffering much under the occupation of the Tutsi and the foreign agressors.
- ACP reports that the Congolese export in the first 8 months of
1998 showed an increase of about 25% ($ 1.051,6 million against
$ 815,9 million): ACP gives the following partition in the export
revenues:
gold: $ 1,6 million
diamond: $ 521,5 million
oil: $ 195,5 million
coffee: 113,3 million
others: 95,6 million
- The Information Service of the UN for relief organisations, IRIN, has issued a report of some effects of the war: 1) an amount of at least $ 800.000 of goods has been stolen by the rebels from UNICEF since last August. It concerns drugs, child food, vehicles etc. from the offices at Bukavu, Uvira and Kisangani, and also from the office at Boma in West-Congo. 2) The population around Uvira needs urgently help, because of pillage of food and medical stocks. 3) Interruption of the national vaccination campaign against polio as a result of the war will have serious consequences.
- Minister of Finance, Tala Ngai, has been arrested in Kinshasa. He has been replaced by Minister Mawam'panga, who has already the portfolio of Agriculture.
- The US government says to support the plans of some OAE- countries: Uganda, Tanzania, South-Africa, Kenya and Zambia. The heads of state of these countries recently held a meeting together to discuss the war in Congo. They are willing to mediate between the warring parties.
- Six mobutists, among which Victor Nendaka, Alexis Kadima, Jean- Claude Vumba and Andre Atundu, have formed a comittee for national consensus. They have already had meetings in several countries: Cote d'Ivoire, Congo-Brazza, Uganda, Mocambique, South-Africa, Angola and Gabon.
- NCN reports that Zimbabwe has sent 2000 fresh troops to Congo.
They are stationed in Kananga, about 150 km west of Mbuji Mayi.
Zimbabwe has already 3000 troops in Congo, plus military
airplanes. In Lubumbashi Zimbabwe has also important military
facilities.
Angola has sent some combat helicopters to Kinshasa. They may be
deployed against the rebels in the region of Mbuji Mayi, but also
against UNITA rebels in Congo. Angola fears a coalition of the
Congolese rebels and UNITA, since the ex-mobutists in the top of
the rebels are supporting UNITA financially. Anyway Angola wants
to prevent that the rebels come in possession of the mineral-rich
provinces Kasai and Katanga, which would mean a safe haven and
an abundant stream of revenues for UNITA.
Rwanda and Uganda say that Kabila is keeping 10 combat airplanes
and 3 helicopters ready for deployment in Mbuji Mayi, and that
he has support of 7000 Rwandese Hutus under command of general
Augustin Bizimungu, head of the Rwandese army at the time of the
genocide in 1994. Allegedly also troops from Chad have arrived
in Mbuji Mayi.
- The UN Security Council has made an appeal to all parties to
stop the hostilities and to respect the territorial integrity of
Congo.
- The Kabila government will participate at the summit in Lusaka (capital of Zambia) on 26 and 27 October. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs and of Defence of 19 African countries - SADC- members just as Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi - will be present. The purpose of the summit is a cease-fire and withdrawal of foreign troops.
-At the summit in Lusaka the rebel movement did not accept the cease-fire protocol, presented to them by President Chiluba (Zambia) and the OAU. They only want direct negotiations with Kabila. The Kabila government however, and also Angola and Zimbabwe, consider the rebels as puppets of Uganda and Rwanda and require the withdrawing of these countries from the Congolese territory. The summit has broken down.
-ACP reports that President Henri Konan Bedie of Ivory Coast is supporting Kabila but prefers diplomatic steps to military assistance.
- The rebels assert that the fighting around Mbuji Mayi has started.
chronicle 8, september 15 -september 28 1997
chronicle 9, september 29 -october 12 1997
chronicle 10, october 13 - october 26 1997
chronicle 11, october 27 - november 9, 1997
chronicle 12, november 10 -november 23 1997
chronicle 13, november 24 -december 7 1997
chronicle 14, december 8 1997 - january 4 1998
chronicle 15, january 5 - january 18 1998
chronicle 16, january 19 - february 1 1998
chronicle 17, february 2 - february 15 1998
chronicle 18, february 16 - march 1 1998
chronicle 19, march 2 - march 15 1998
chronicle 20, march 16 - march 29 1998
chronicle 21, march 30 - april 26 1998
chronicle 22, april 27 - mei 10 1998
chronicle 23, mei 11 - mei 31 1998
chronicle 24, juni 1 - august 26 1998
chronicle 25, august 27 - october 27 1998