Pessimism over DRC peace

Rwanda’s failure to “halt its military aggression” in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) offers little hope for an early peace settlement in the embattled country, a senior Zimbabwean government official told IRIN. “I don’t think the situation on the ground merits any confidence at all,” presidential spokesman George Charamba said. “Is there a peace disposition in Kigali? Our forces have come under severe fire, and for us that’s where we get our cue. That means Rwanda intends to fight.” Charamba said that “all along the allies have never been intent on a full-scale war” and their intervention in western DRC was “meant to send a signal to Rwanda and Uganda” which was not headed. He described the allies current role in eastern DRC as a “reluctant deployment” after rebel advances forced “a political decision”. “All along we have maintained lines of communications with the invaders. The framework for a ceasefire was worked out at Victoria Falls, consolidated in Addis, rehashed at the Durban Non-Alligned meeting, and re-presented at the Mauritius (Southern African Development Community) summit, again at the insistence of the allied forces,” Charamba told IRIN on Wednesday. The first phase of the DRC peace process under discussion in Lusaka, Zambia, this week involves a ceasefire agreement with the participation of “everyone with military forces in the DRC” including the rebels. But Charamba stressed that unless real progress was made on Thursday in the meeting between regional foreign and defence ministers, Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe would not attend Saturday’s scheduled summit. The ministers meeting would “determine the advisability of a full-fledged summit.” Charamba added that any discussion of a future peacekeeping force to monitor a ceasefire was “putting the cart way before the horse.” In the absence of a workable peace agreement, Zimbabwean forces would remain in the DRC to protect the legitimate government of President Laurent-Desire Kabila, Charamba said. “We must begin on the premise that violating a neighbours borders will not be condoned, whatever it takes.” Responding to allegations that Kabila would not accept an agreement that would weaken his political position, Mugabe’s spokesman said: “President Kabila is facing an invasion. Why should there be greater preparedness on his part for peace than Rwanda and Uganda?” Charamba charged that Rwanda’s need for security, which has determined Kigali’s intervention in the DRC to root out Hutu rebels, was a product of its own policy shortcomings. “If there are Rwandan elements in the DRC it is because of the failure of reconciliation in Rwanda,” he said.