Luanda preparing to withdraw from DRC

The Angolan minister of defence, Kundi Paihama, stated on Tuesday that his country's armed forces were already preparing to leave neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), although the Kinshasa government had requested an initial review of the situation on the two country's common border, Lusa reported. Paihama was speaking to journalists in Luanda, following a meeting with UN specialists who are examining the illegal exploitation of the DRC's natural resources, particularly diamonds.

The minister stated: "We are going to leave, everyone knows we are motivated by good faith but circumstances are different. Angola is a different case to Namibia as we have a common frontier with DR Congo and there are situations which need to be approached for the interests and good of both". Paihama added that Angolan troops were "ready to leave under the conditions of the ceasefire and according to the will of the Kinshasa government". He also declared his country was "not interested in staying for more than originally agreed as we also have our problems here", a reference to Angola's ongoing civil war.

The UN team will present a report to the Security Council on the situation in the country, the document is likely to point out that illicit diamond trading is one of the key factors militating against peace in the country. Angola, together with Zimbabwe and Namibia, has given military support to Kinshasa but is the only one of the three countries to have not officially announced a timetable for withdrawal of its troops stationed in the DRC.

Meanwhile, 'Jornal de Angola' said on Wednesday that DRC President Joseph Kabila was due to arrive in Angola on Wednesday for talks with his counterpart on the withdrawal of Angolan troops from Kinshasa.