Botswana defends Masire as dialogue facilitator

The Botswana government on Monday said it was seriously disturbed by the DRC’s reported demand for the OAU to withdraw former Botswana president Ketumile Masire as its nominated facilitator for the inter-Congolese political dialogue provided for in the Lusaka agreement. A foreign ministry statement said Botswana had full confidence in Masire’s personal integrity and competence, and that he would ensure the success of the process “if all the warring parties gave him a chance through their cooperation,” the PanAfrican News Agency (PANA) reported. The Botswana Press Agency, in a report on the government website, stated on Monday that Masire was not aware his mediation efforts were not appreciated by the DRC, that President Laurent-Desire Kabila had said nothing to him to that effect, and that they had not met “to try and iron out differences.” Masire said the initiative was at “a momentary dead-end” because President Kabila failed to send representatives to preparatory talks in Benin from 5 to 7 June, but that another meeting had been set for 3 July and he hoped all those invited would send delegates. The facilitator said he was disinclined to say what the reasons were for Kabila’s refusal to negotiate because “he might think I am prejudicing his right” or “beginning to put ideas which he does not entertain”.