Masire envisages talks starting soon

The dialogue facilitator Ketumile Masire has said that, despite his difficulties with the DRC authorities in Kinshasa last month, he expects the inter-Congolese dialogue provided for in the Lusaka accord to take place "within a month or two." Masire said he was confident the peace agreement would hold and that all the parties involved would eventually take part in the political negotiations, the South African 'Sowetan'
newspaper reported on Wednesday. On the non-cooperation of DRC authorities last month, Masire differentiated between Kabila, who had accepted his role, and two of his ministers who "spoke a different language." Masire also said President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe could play "the most decisive role" in resolving the conflict, since it was "the presence of his army that sustains the present situation," the 'Sowetan' added.