St. Egidio and Francophonie facilitate debate preparations

Officials from the Roman Catholic St. Egidio Community and the Francophonie organisation said in Kinshasa on Monday that they planned on setting up an all-inclusive committee to organise the proposed Congolese national debate, news agencies reported. Quoting a statement issued by the two officials, Reuters said the committee would include rebels, opposition groups and the Kabila government. It said the facilitators had begun their consultations last month with Congolese exiles in Europe and had arrived in Kinshasa last week. “The facilitators will continue their efforts to smooth the difficulties faced and to give every chance for the inter-Congolese debate to take place,” the statement said.