"High time" to implement Pretoria accord, says Belgian minister

Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel has urged the government and "all parties" in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to implement the Pretoria power-sharing agreement without delay.

"Nobody seems to be blocking the Pretoria agreement [on power-sharing in DRC] but not everyone has sized up the urgency of the situation," he said on Sunday. "I will remind all the parties that it is high time to implement this agreement for the benefit of all Congolese."

He was speaking during a meeting with DRC President Joseph Kabila in the capital, Kinshasa. The meeting constituted the first item on the itinerary of Michel's latest African tour, dedicated to unblocking the political impasse in the DRC.

"President Kabila reaffirmed to me his strong commitment to implementing the agreement, but there are still problems to solve," he said.

Questions remained regarding the transitional constitution and the setting up of institutions, as well as the integration of the armies in the country, he added.

"We are waiting for [facilitator of the inter-Congolese dialogue Ketumile] Masire to launch the debate as soon as possible," he said. "The international community should make a strong offer concerning the demobilisation and reintegration of former soldiers."

He added that Belgium was "ready to go along with the peace process by helping to organise the elections and rebuild the state, justice, the economy, health services, and infrastructure".

The Belgium minister of defence is due to visit Kinshasa next week to evaluate the possible resumption of Belgian military cooperation with the government.

Michel held talks with the unarmed opposition, civil society and Congolese businessmen, before leaving Kinshasa on Monday. His tour will take him to Angola, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and South Africa before returning to Kinshasa. He will also visit Gbadolite, northwestern DRC, for a meeting with the chairman of the Mouvement pour la liberation du Congo, Jean-Pierre Bemba, and Senegal, where he is due to meet UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region Moustapha Niasse.