UN, British envoys comment on talks with Kabila

The head of the UN observer mission in DRC (MONUC) Kamel Morjane met President Kabila on Wednesday for talks which he described as "fruitful". Morjane told DRC state television that the president pledged to work with him "and help me carry out my difficult mission". He said MONUC was determined to guarantee the independence of the DRC and its territorial integrity. The British ambassador to DRC, Douglas Scrafton, also met Kabila and reiterated his government's support for the Lusaka accord and its readiness to play a role in the restoration of peace in the DRC. He told the television that the choice of former Botswanan president Ketumile Masire was good "because the inter-Congolese debate can now effectively take place". "No country can benefit from this long-lasting war, it is everybody's interest to see peace prevail in the DRC and the entire region," Scrafton added.