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Government ready to talk to rebels

    NAIROBI
    The DRC is ready to hold "direct talks" with rebels of the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD), according to a statement issued in Sirte, Libya on Saturday. The statement, reported by Libyan television, followed a meeting attended by Presidents Laurent-Desire Kabila of DRC, Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso [current chairman of OAU], Idriss Deby of Chad, Ange Felix Patasse of Central African Republic, Isayas Afewerki of Eritrea, Yahiah Jammeh of Gambia, Rwandan Vice President Paul Kagame, former Tanzanian president Julius Nyerere, former Algerian president Ahmed Ben Ben Bella and the UN Secretary-General's special envoy for DRC Mustapha Niasse. According to the television report, the sides involved in the conflict "narrowed their points of view". However, Rwandan officials denied Rwanda had put its name to the statement. News organisations quoted officials as saying "no accord was signed in Sirte. Rwanda cannot sign anything until guarantees on its concerns, particularly regarding our security, have been taken into account". The BBC quoted Kagame as having reminded Libya that "former Hutu militiamen and soldiers based in Congo pose a serious threat to Rwanda and regional stability ... and have to be dealt with before a meaningful peaceful settlement emerges".

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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