SADC summit promotes peace agenda

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit ended in the Malawi city of Blantyre, on Monday, with encouraging indications in the context of the ongoing peace efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). A major development during the summit was an unplanned meeting between Congolese President Joseph Kabila and the leaders of two armed opposition groups - Adolphe Yemba Onusumba of the Rwandan-backed Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie-Goma and Jean-Pierre Bemba of the Ugandan-backed Mouvement de liberation du Congo. Onusumba and Bemba were invited to attend the summit as observers. Kabila had earlier said that such a meeting at the summit "was not on his agenda". No specific details on the meeting were available. In response to Burundi's announcement last week that it would withdraw its troops from the Congo if Kinshasa ended its support for the Forces pour la defense de la democratie, a Burundian armed opposition movement, Kabila said this was a "positive development". However, he added that announcement of the intent and the actual withdrawal of troops were "two different things", the Daily Times of Malawi reported. While Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni attended the summit upon special invitation, Rwandan President Paul Kagame declined, after having first accepted. Instead, Rwanda sent a high-level delegation. Uganda and Rwanda have troops in the Congo backing rebels opposed to Kabila. Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe also have troops there, but in support of Kabila's forces. In a speech at the summit, Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos said: "We are pleased to note that in essence a cease-fire is holding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and that the peace process seems to be heading in the right direction and in a manner that is acceptable to all sides. [There are] now better conditions to reach an agreement on a number of pending issues relating to the DRC peace accord." The facilitator of the inter-Congolese dialogue, former Botswana president Ketumile Masire, told the SADC leaders that the peace talks would "soon resume" in South Africa, Masire's office reported. "But that will not be the end of the process. It will be rather a continuation of a process of reconciliation and rebuilding of a nation," he said. Masire said funding remained a major concern given that at least 300 delegates would be attending. Together with outstanding issues such as representation of the Mayi-Mayi militias, the political opposition, the Ugandan-backed Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie-Kisangani-Mouvement de liberation armed opposition movement, the Congolese diaspora, and religious groups, funding was "likely to cause a slight delay in the resumption of the dialogue", which started in Addis Ababa in October 2001, but is due to resume at the end of January. Masire asked SADC leaders for their political and financial support that would "allow us to help the Congolese regain their sovereignty". He also expressed concern over renewed fighting in northeastern DRC, which, he said, could have a negative impact on the peace process. He called on SADC leaders to ensure that foreign armies were withdrawn from Congo and that all hostilities were ended. Newly-elected Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa pledged US $50,000 in support of the inter-Congolese dialogue, a Lusaka newspaper, The Post, reported on Monday. However, he said he would still need to consult Finance Minister Emmanuel Kasonde regarding a possible increase of the money pledged. The SADC summit also focused on the land crisis and approaching elections in Zimbabwe, and the civil war in Angola. SADC member nations are Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.