Allies renew support for Kinshasa

The presidents of Zimbabwe, Angola and Namibia yesterday (Monday) reiterated their support for President Laurent-Desire Kabila in his war against rebels supported by Rwanda and Uganda. Speaking after a four-nation summit in Kinshasa, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe said the allies would spare no effort to help the DRC restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity, state-run television reported in Kinshasa. “There is no doubt on our part that they intend the war to continue, and their occupation therefore to continue, and allow them to exploit the resources of the Democratic Republic of Congo,” Mugabe said, lashing out at Uganda and Rwanda. “Time has come for the international community, we believe, not only to exert pressure on them to withdraw, to undo their aggression, but also to recognize that ... their aggression is against the international law, and therefore must cease,” he added. “As I said, we are determined to put an end to this war, and today we re-examined other ways of putting an end to this aggression by all means.” Also attending the meeting were presidents Jose Eduardo dos Santos of Angola and Sam Nujoma of Namibia. Angola’s state-run radio reported in Luanda that the allies also discussed the Angolan situation “deciding that [UNITA leader Jonas] Savimbi poses a threat to the region” Angola’s ambassador in Kinshasa, Mawete Joao Baptista, said the heads “appealed to the international community to materially assist the Republic of Angola in its efforts to establish peace in the country”. “On the DRC, they stated their unconditional support for Kabila’s efforts to halt the rebellion in his country,” Baptista added. He told the radio station that “... the international community has been campaigning quite strongly to split the DRC allies” and that “the meeting was an opportunity for Angola, Zimbabwe and Namibia to show their solidarity with the DRC...”