Talks on Congo conflict run into impasse

LUSAKA, Zambia (Reuters) -- Talks between opposing sides involved in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ran into difficulties Monday, largely over the issue of deployment of UN peacekeepers.

Officials said the main sticking points were the reluctance of Congolese President Laurent Kabila to guarantee the security of the United Nations peacekeepers and the choice of former Botswana president Sir Ketumile Masire to organize all-party national dialogue in the Congo.

MESSAGE BOARD Congo peace

They said that leaders of several countries not directly involved in the conflict -- South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi and Swaziland -- left others at the Lusaka summit to resolve the impasse between them.

"The leaders have left the belligerents to try and resolve the two sticking points -- they (belligerents) will then report back to the other heads of state," Tanzanian Foreign Minister Jakaya Kikwete told reporters.

"It could be later tonight, it could be tomorrow," he added.

The summit was called by the 14-member Southern Africa Development Community to try to resurrect a peace deal signed last year. The meeting was set to end after one day, but all leaders had agreed to stay longer if necessary, Kikwete said.

Earlier, several said they were frustrated by the failure of Kabila and his adversaries to implement the peace deal, and told them the time to move forward to save the country had arrived.

"The DRC peace process is ours. ... We initiated it, negotiated it and signed the agreement. We must now implement it fully. No one, and I repeat no one, has greater interest in it than ourselves and Africa at large," said Zambian President Frederick Chiluba, the chief Congo negotiator.

Chiluba chaired the first round of talks but the next session was headed by Mozambique's President Joaquim Chissano.

Inside the summit hall, Kabila came face-to-face with adversaries Rwandan President Maj. Gen. Paul Kagame and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni who back rebels fighting him.

He sat stony-faced and silent, and did not once look in their direction.

Rebel leaders Jean-Pierre Bemba and Emille Illunga stared at Kabila. Another Ugandan-backed rebel, Ernest Wamba dia Wamba, was not present. The African leaders and Congo rebel groups went into closed-door talks after the formal opening.

Earlier, Kabila told reporters on arrival in Lusaka: "I am very confident and that's why I have come here."

Asked about criticism that he was holding up implementation of the peace deal signed in Lusaka in July 1999, Kabila retorted: "Rubbish."

Chiluba, Kagame, Museveni, Kabila, the presidents of Malawi, South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Tanzania and King Mswati III of Swaziland are all in Lusaka for the summit.

The president of Angola, who was earlier expected in Zambia, sent his defense minister instead.

Earlier Monday, leaders called for increased political will from those involved in the crisis, or risk a return to full-scale war in the country the size of Europe.

"The problem is that people say they are committed (to ending the crisis), but in actual fact they are not. People say one thing and do the direct opposite," Museveni told Reuters. "We are here to make a difference."

Zimbabwe has sent 15,000 troops, plus tanks and warplanes, to support the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Angola and Namibia have sent smaller numbers of troops to help Kabila fight splintered rebel armies who have been trying to oust him for two years.

The United Nations, which agreed in February to send 500 cease-fire observers and 5,500 troops to protect them, called off plans to deploy the first unit last month after Kabila refused to let them go to areas under his control.

Rebels control the east and parts of the north of the Congo.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For more Africa news, myCNN.com will bring you news from the areas and subjects you select.

See related sites about Africa

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.