AU chief in DRC

2008-10-12 14:19

Kinshasa - African Union chief Jean Ping met Saturday in Kinshasa with officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo to try and bring an end to fighting in the country's east between the army and rebel forces.

"I have come to meet with Congolese authorities to understand the situation on the ground (in Nord-Kivu) before putting forward solutions," Ping told reporters on his arrival in the country on Friday.

Ping met Saturday with the heads of both houses of parliament, as well as with Alan Doss, the head of the UN mission in DR Congo (MONUC), and other Western diplomats.

His visit comes after President Joseph Kabila called on Thursday for a renewed offensive against forces loyal to rebel leader Laurent Nkunda.

"Over and above any political divide, we must mobilise as one behind our armed forces and our elected representatives to preserve peace and the unity and (territorial) integrity of the country," said Kabila in a televised address.

The president argued that Nkunda's aim was "not to protect his ethnic community as he has always claimed but to divide the country to bring about the expansionism of a neighbouring territory," referring to Rwanda.

Renewed fighting broke out August 28 with government troops and Nkunda's CNDP violating a ceasefire reached under the Goma peace accord in January.

The rebels on Friday withdrew from an army base in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo at MONUC's request after having taken it in fierce fighting.

They took the Rumangabo base, about 50km north of the provincial capital of Goma on Thursday after an intense battle.

DRC officials this week alleged that Rwandan troops had aided Nkunda's forces to capture Rumangabo, and accused Kigali of planning to attack the provincial capital of Goma. Rwandan officials denied the charges.

A five-year conflict pitting government forces, supported by Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe, against rebels backed by Uganda and Rwanda, ended in 2003 after claiming more than three million lives.

- AFP