Government bars civil society, opposition from leaving Kinshasa

The DRC government on Monday barred representatives of the civil society and the opposition from leaving Kinshasa to travel to Cotonou, Benin to participate in the inter-Congolese preparatory peace talks which were to begin on Tuesday. "An immigration officer at the airport took our passports and our tickets and then disappeared," AFP quoted Francois Lumumba, a member of the unarmed opposition, as saying. The delegation missed its flight while waiting in vain for the official. The Cotonou meeting was expected to decide on the venue for the country's national dialogue. The government said it would not attend the Cotonou meeting. "It is not up to Masire to carry out the dialogue, but he has to facilitate the dialogue between the Congolese," AFP quoted DRC's Foreign Minister Yerodia Abdoulaye Ndombasi as telling reporters on Monday. "He has to know that he does not rule this country which is ruled by a legitimate government," he said. "We are for dialogue...We want the facilitator to carry out his role correctly."