IRIN interview with UDPS leader Etienne Tshisekedi

Following the death of Congolese President Laurent-Désiré Kabila, IRIN spoke to Etienne Tshisekedi, the leader of the opposition Union pour la démocratie et le progres social (UDPS) on 20 January. QUESTION: Can the Congolese hope for a better future now that Laurent-Désiré Kabila is dead ? ANSWER: Yes, a serious stumbling block has just been lifted, even though I regret his violent death as someone who has fought through peaceful means. The way is now clear for a three-pronged solution envisaged in the Lusaka peace accord: the ceasefire, the intercongolese dialogue and the deployment of UN troops. I hope that it won't take too many months. I have already sent envoys to ask Kabila's son to take a different approach from his father and to enter into the intercongolese dialogue. The leaders of the the groups that make up the dialogue - Kabila's group, the three rebel groups and me - must meet as soon as possible under the auspices of Mr Masire, the facilitator, to bring the country out of this crisis. Q: Do you think that Joseph Kabila is in favour of this initiative ? A: He has to be as he doesn't have a choice. He is not destined to remain leader of the country. His father has failed and the son must pay the consequences. He must be wise and understand that power must be divided by consensus. If he doesn't want to take this option, we will continue the struggle. We won't get tired. He will be the one to give up. Q: Who is most able to exert influence over this situation ? A: First, I appeal to the Secretary-General and to the UN Security Council to deploy the necessary troops to provide security for the Congolese as soon as there is a ceasefire. But in order to do this the member states must give them the resources. Now that the padlock has been sprung we must act not prevaricate. The UN has been created to establish peace and security in places where it doesn't exist not to stay in air-conditioned buildings in Manhattan. The 5,500 troops must deploy where there could be clashes starting with Kinshasa. Then the foreign troops will have to withdraw from Congolese soil. Q: The unarmed opposition appears divided. Don't you first have to develop a joint position ? A: One has to distinguish between those who are acting in their own interests and us, who are acting on behalf of the people. My allies are united political structures with a party of people behind them. They are: PDSC (Parti démocrate social-chrétien, led by André Bo-Boliko Lokonga), PALU (Parti lumumbiste unifié, led by Antoine Gizenga) and FONUS (Forces novatrices pour l'Union et la Solidarité, led by Joseph Olengakhoy). The Mobutuists ? Don't waste time with them. They should be jailed for the crimes they have committed. When they're abroad they say that they are the opposition but they don't represent anyone. The rest are people who make a lot of noise overseas but who are only looking for ministerial jobs instead of worrying about the poverty of the people. It will be like Burundi where small parties without representation want to be in the same boat as everyone else and who make life difficult for everyone. Q: Some people accuse you of being more interested in gaining power in Kinshasa than in dealing with Rwanda and Uganda who occupy part of your country ? A: Kabila arrived in Kinshasa on 17 May 1997, backed by these two countries. On 23 May I gave a press conference in Kinshasa to thank them for having delivered us from Mobutu but also asking them to leave Congo at once and let the Congolese manage on their own. But Kabila replied that there were no foreigners in the Congolese army. Legally, he took power "by force". What happened then was an internal struggle in the AFDL because Kabila did not want to share power. So the other wing asked for Ugandan and Rwandese support. It didn't react against the Congolese people but against Kabila himself. Q: Are you calling for Rwanda and Uganda to leave today ? A: I am only asking that the provisions of the Lusaka accord be respected. The UN must deploy to secure the country and then all foreign troops must withdraw. The Accord provides a balance because it also paves the way for dialogue and, therefore, for democracy. If we had condemned Rwandan and Ugandan aggression as Kabila wanted us to do we would have left the field open for him to consolidate his dictatorship. We didn't want to fall into this trap. That said, I am aware that Congolses in the Kivus and in the East in general are suffering from this occupation and I want to express my sympathy and solidarity for them. Q: Can you tell me in concrete terms what you intend to do in the coming weeks ? A: I am in contact with many African and European leaders to underline the urgency of the situation. I have asked the militants in my party, the UDPS, to start political activities again, in the West as well as in the East. I am ready to return to Kinshasa as soon as dialogue is underway. I have asked conference participants to return as soon as possible to the facilitator in Gabarone. We must not waste time. We have already got the achievements of the sovereign national conference and we have to put the conclusions into practice.