Rwanda, Uganda react strongly to sanctions threat

Rwanda and Uganda have reacted strongly to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s statement recommending sanctions if the two countries fail to withdraw their troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They said the resolution, if adopted, could lead to the collapse of the Lusaka agreement. “To go ahead and suggest that we should withdraw from Congo when the Lusaka agreement clearly details the withdrawal schedule of all foreign troops, is a sign of bad faith,” Rwandan army spokesman Emmanuel Ndahiro told IRIN on Thursday. “This is not a new thing to us, the UN was here at the time of genocide and it ordered the withdrawal of its troops and what happened?” he said. “We shall not leave until the security of our borders is guaranteed.” The Ugandan army spokesman, Major Phineas Katirima, for his part, told IRIN that good faith should prevail in the debate of Annan’s proposal to the Security Council. “They should take into account the situation on the ground before rushing into any decision,” he noted. “In Uganda’s case we have already withdrawn from Kisangani, our forces are at Kapalata 11 km away and we shall continue to withdraw further to Banalia in a few days,” Katirima said. Meanwhile, the Rwanda backed RCD-Goma in a critical statement, termed Annan’s recommendations to the Security Council “detestable and unacceptable and a renewed violation of the Lusaka accord to which it reaffirms its strongest commitment,” rebel-controlled radio Goma said.