Rebel groups meet Security Council delegation

Representatives of at least two of the Congolese rebel movements that signed the Lusaka agreement last year met the Holbrooke-led delegation during its seven-day fact-finding mission to the region. “On our side, the President Emile Ilunga, Commander Jean-Pierre Ondekane, Vice-President Moise Nyarugabo and myself met Ambassador Holbrooke and his team,” Bizima Karaha, Chief of Security and Intelligence with the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD), told IRIN. “The discussions centered around sticking to the ceasefire agreement, the inter-Congolese dialogue, the situation in Kisangani and the responsibilities of the international community,” Karaha added.

The leader of the Bunia-based RCD-ML (Mouvement de liberation) faction Wamba dia Wamba met the Holbrooke delegation briefly at Entebbe airport, outside Kampala, the Ugandan media reported. Last week, the leader of the Mouvement de liberation du congo (MLC), Jean-Pierre Bemba, told IRIN that he was unaware of the Security Council mission to the region. It was not clear whether or not the MLC had also had talks with the delegation, which departed the region from Kampala on Monday.