Political dialogue facilitator visits Kinshasa

Former Botswana President Ketumile Masire on Thursday arrived in Kinshasa to make preparatory contacts with various stakeholders in the inter-Congolese political dialogue provided for in the Lusaka agreement on the DRC. Masire is the OAU-nominated mediator of the scheduled dialogue. An official in his office in Gabarone, Botswana, confirmed to IRIN that Masire had travelled to Kinshasa but said she had no details of his itinerary. “I would like to meet the political parties, the opposition and the wise ones who will advise me and give me their views on the number of days the dialogue will take and the number who should take part,” Reuters news agency quoted him as saying on his arrival in Kinshasa.

Masire departed the DRC hastily during an earlier trip in March, accusing the government of frustrating his efforts by denying him flight clearance to rebel-held parts of the country. Foreign Minister Yerodia Abdoulaye Ndombasi on that occasion accused him of exceeding his mandate and fostering conditions that could facilitate the partition of the DRC. The government has insisted that the inter-Congolese political should take place in Kinshasa - a venue the rebels have repeatedly rejected. “It’s up to the Congolese, not to me, to decide,” Reuters quoted Masire as saying.

“If it takes place here [Kinshasa] or in a neighbouring country, I will come ... That’s not my problem,” he said.