US denies any bias in DRC conflict

US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Susan Rice, on Wednesday denied that her country had "in any fashion taken sides" in the DRC conflict. In an interview with 'Business Day' in Johannesburg, she said the US had "in no way condoned the intervention by Rwanda and Uganda" and persistent rumours of bias towards them were "fuelled by those who don't understand the US, or who wish to use the US to stoke domestic and
regional fears for their own ends".

Rice said the US had not been more proactive in resolving the conflict because African governments had insisted on a regional solution. "Our orientation has been to be strongly but quietly supportive of their efforts - we have been very, very actively engaged - rather than trying to seize headlines and grab glory," she said.

Asked if the US would spend as much on peacekeeping and reconstruction in the DRC as it has in Kosovo, Rice said it wanted to constructively support any viable peace agreement, but there was "an important element missing - the signature of the rebel groups". The US would study whatever peacekeeping proposal is put to the UN Security Council but its inclination was to be as supportive as possible, she said. "The goodwill remains, but obviously we need to be confident that we have partners in
the government and civil society with whom we can work."