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DR Congo approves new Cabinet

Displaced people walk back towards their homes, near Kibumba, some 40km north of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Saturday. Thousands of war-weary refugees returned to the road on Saturday, taking advantage of a rebel-called ceasefire to try to reach home beyond the front lines of last week’s battles. PHOTO: AP

The parliament of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) approved a new Cabinet yesterday that will immediately take over the task of finding a way to bring peace in the country’s strife-torn east.

The Cabinet, headed by Congolese Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito, was approved by 294 lawmakers, with 67 voting against it while seven abstained, parliament speaker Vital Kamerhe said.

The new government was approved after two days of debate that focused on the conflict in the east of the country, where fighting between the military and rebel forces led by renegade general Laurent Nkunda resumed in August.

Meanwhile, African Union (AU) Chairman Jakaya Kikwete said yesterday he was involved in intensive diplomatic efforts ahead of a summit this week in Nairobi on the situation.

“It is our hope the Nairobi meeting later next week will come out with the road map on the way forward,” Tanzanian Foreign Minister Bernard Membe said.

Membe was quoting Kikwete after the Tanzanian president held talks with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and British Foreign Minister David Miliband on the situation.

“The AU is seriously concerned over the latest developments and wants warring parties in the DRC to implement last Wednesday’s ceasefire in line with the Nairobi and Goma accords,” Membe said.

A ceasefire declared on Wednesday by Nkunda’s movement following the retreat of government forces has so far held.

On Saturday, the pair of European envoys held talks with Congolese President Joseph Kabila, toured areas affected by the crisis and held talks with Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

The framework to stem the violence in the eastern provinces and disarm militias is contained in the January Goma agreement and the Nairobi declaration of last November.

The Brussels-based think-tank International Crisis Group suggested on Saturday that the UN should appoint a special envoy to monitor their implementation and ensure that past diplomatic efforts were not in vain.

Membe said Kikwete had been in contact with Kabila and Kagame, as well as Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki over the spiraling situation in the DRC.

A Kagame envoy was expected in Dar es Salaam today, while Kabila was to send his tomorrow to lay the ground for the Nairobi summit.

No date has yet been confirmed for the Nairobi summit, seen as key step in defusing the crisis by bringing Kabila and Kagame to the same table.

Miliband and Kouchner continued their talks yesterday amid reports of UN food aid planned for thousands of refugees.

Miliband said late on Saturday it was up to the UN to ensure aid reached the tens of thousands of refugees forced to flee the fighting.

The BBC later reported UN food and medical aid was planned for the estimated 250,000 displaced by the recent fighting.

“We are not at the moment looking at sending British troops to join the UN force,” Miliband was quoted as telling reporters during a visit to a refugee camp in the eastern DRC.

The UN refugee agency UNHCR said the situation in the eastern DRC was “desperate.”

The agency said rebel forces had forcibly emptied refugee camps and burned them to the ground during their advance on Goma.

Last week US Assistant Secretary of State for African affairs Jendayi Frazer held talks with Kabila and went to Kigali to pressure Kagame to use his influence on Nkunda to keep the ceasefire alive and ensure humanitarian aid reaches hundreds of thousands of civilians in need.
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