Wamba group denies dissolution claim

The rebel Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD) faction led by Ernest Wamba dia Wamba on Tuesday denied reports that the majority of its officials had resigned to form a new movement under the group's former spokesman, Willy Mishiki. "A large number of people who joined the rebel movement at the beginning did so just to resolve their own problems. Mishiki is an example of this," RCD-Kisangani rapporteur Jacques Depelchin told IRIN. Mishiki had left the group "simply because his own personal ambitions were not satisfied", he added. Depelchin said Wamba's group still had widespread popular support and had an estimated 15,000-20,000 soldiers in its ranks. "Our position remains that we want to continue to fight for sustainable peace and democratic transformation in the Congo," Depelchin said. Moise Nyarugabo, Vice-President of the mainstream RCD-Goma, told IRIN the reported defections were due to Wamba's supporters "realising their mistake". He said they would be welcomed back to the mainstream RCD. Nyarugabo added that the so-called declaration of an autonomous province in Ituri district, Province Oriental, was "an attempt by Wamba at secessionism, which we totally reject". "We reject the balkanisation of Congo," he said. "Wamba is seeking every possible way to find a small space for himself."