Kinshasa says OAU failing to support “national debate”

A “national debate” has been underway since 14 October, but has failed to catch the attention of “some international bodies”, DRC state television reported. The Lusaka peace accord provides for a national debate between all sides in the DRC, but representatives from rebel-held areas are not taking part. A week after the launch of “the preliminaries to the national debate”, chaired by Foreign Minister Yerodia Abdoulaye Ndombasi, “only our compatriots living in occupied territory are still being awaited”, the television said. It accused the OAU of not “fully assuming its responsibility” in helping to organise the “inter-Congolese political negotiations”.