Kabila says Libya meeting "serious"

President Laurent-Desire Kabila has described weekend talks in Libya with his Ugandan rival President Yoweri Museveni as serious.

Speaking over DRC state television on Monday night, he said details of the peace agreement signed by both presidents, along with their Chadian, Libyan and Eritrean counterparts, would soon be published. "Mr Museveni made us understand he was prepared to withdraw his troops," Kabila said.

He added that Museveni had however expressed concern over Interahamwe militiamen "who are said to be in our country". Asked whether he thought Uganda would abide by the deal, he replied that "when one makes a pledge and signs an agreement of one's own free will, one is forced to honour one's words". According to Kabila, Libya and Eritrea had, moreover, agreed to send military observers to eastern DRC "in two weeks' time".

A series of regional summits would be held in the next few days to discuss the DRC issue "so that we reach a definitive agreement with those who were absent from Sirte".

However, he cautioned that "we must prepare for war because the invaders will not leave until they are forced to quit". "We cannot claim to make peace when an entire half of the country is occupied by the invaders," he said. Referring to Rwanda, he noted that Museveni "said he could not commit the others during the talks". However, Museveni had reportedly consulted his allies.