Mugabe pledges continued support for DRC

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe vowed on Tuesday to continue military aid to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the official ‘Herald’ newspaper reported. “Our support will continue until we are certain that the territorial integrity of the Congo has been restored,” Mugabe told a news conference before seeing off DRC leader Joseph Kabila at Harare airport.

Kabila concluded a two-day official visit to Zimbabwe on Tuesday with a special address to parliament, which was boycotted by the country’s main opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). In his address Kabila expressed his “appreciation” of Zimbabwe’s military assistance to the DRC government.

Mugabe expressed satisfaction at a troop disengagement in the DRC. “Generally the situation is now calm. We hope the calmness will continue and will transform itself into a real peace process that will see ... the aggression end,” he said.

Meanwhile Kabila told journalist that he did not believe that the DRC would ever be divided into two countries. “Our people up to now have demonstrated their willingness and their love to see Congo united as one and only one country,” he said.