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NEWS ON CONGO 039: President Kabila's UN speech [Posted: 07.12.01] NOTE: On websites with information on the DR Congo and for some contact addresses, see endnote last in this posting. INTRO NOTE: Below is reproduced, in my translation from the French, the speech by the president of the DR Congo, Joseph Kabila, to the UN General Assembly on 16.11.2001, as reported by the Permanent Mission to the UN of the DR Congo (address, see endnote) the same day. It touches on the situation in the RD Congo and also shows the position of the government of than country concerning the atrocities in the USA on 11.09. In the DR Congo, then called "Zaire", an uprising against the Mobutu dictatorship which had oppressed and fleeced the people in favour of imperialism since 35 years back, started in late 1996 and was victorious on 17.05.1997, when the pre- sent state, the Democratic Republic of Congo, was founded. The liberation struggle was led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila, who also became the first president of the DRC. The DR Congo from the start set itself the goal of freeing the country from imperialist exploitation and building up an actually democratic form of government in it, thereby also setting up an example for all of Africa and for simi- larly exploited countries elsewhere. Because of this, the US and other imperialists instigated a war of aggression against that country on 02.08.1998 by three neighbouring states, a war which so far, directly or indirectly, has cost the lives of over 3,000,000 people and which still continues. One-half of the DR Congo today is under foreign occupation. The people in the whole country continues to suffer enormously. It very much needs the support of the people in all other countries. On 16 January this year, L-D Kabila was foully assassinated, obviously at the instigation of those same forces of imperia- lism which are also behind the war of aggression against the DR Congo. His son, Joseph Kabila, likewise a consistent op- ponent of that aggression, was appointed president. Massive attempts at subverting the government of the DR Congo and at making it "accept" the aggression and capitulate to it con- tinue. A so-called peace process in the DR Congo continues, based on an Accord signed at Lusaka in 1999 which stipulates that all foreign forces are to withdraw and that a so-called national dialogue is to be held in the country, including with those so-called "rebel" forces which are helping the aggressors - this last, outrageous, condition was seen as necessary to accept by the Congolese government at the time. What will be the outcome of this "peace process" still is unclear. End of into note. SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE DR CONGO, JOSEPH KABILA, AT THE 56TH SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE UN, 16 NOVEMBER 2001 Mr President, First of all, I would like to add my voice to those of the illustrious speakers who have preceded me on this tribune in order to extend to you, on behalf of the Congolese people and on my own behalf, my warm congratulations on your election as President of the 56th Ordinary Session of the General As- sembly of the United Nations. The Republic of Korea, your country, maintains excellent re- lations with mine. May I be allowed also to salute warmly Mr Kofi Annan, that worthy son of Africa, for his re-election as General Secretary of the United Nations and for that Nobel Price which has been awarded him, crowning his endeavours for promoting peace in the world. Mr President, The people of the Democratic Republic of Congo, its government and I myself unreservedly condemn those blind acts of terro- rism which plunged America and all of humanity into sorrow on 11 September 2001. These are acts of wanton violence which only merit contempt on the part of the entire international community and all nations which love peace and justice. Applying the Resolution No. 1373 by the Security Council of the United Nations, my government promises full co-operation for the success of every initiative in the direction of eradi- cating terrorism in all its forms. Mr President, The Congolese people, who is itself the innocent victim of the Rwandan-Ugandan-Burundian war of aggression, this other form of terrorism characterized by acts of barbarism which have caused, directly or indirectly, the deaths of millions of Congolese, indeed can understand very well the vile character of those grievous events which took place in the United States of America on 11 September 2001. Mr President, It would carry to far to go into, on this occasion, the ori- gins and the consequences of that war of aggression which was unleashed on 2 August 1998 in flagrant violation of the Char- ters of the UN and the OAU [Organization of African Unity]. Being also an adherent of the logic of peace and conscious of the fact that only a peaceful settlement will bring durable peace, I cannot but salute those numerous initiatives for peace which have been undertaken in order to find a solution by negotiations. I have in mind in particular President Chiluba of Zambia, designated Mediator of the Lusaka peace process. I have in mind equally the SADC [South African Development Community] and quite in particular Angola, Namibia and Zimbab- we which, in accordance with the Charter of the SADC, have come to the help of my attacked country. My thanks and my gratitude also are directed to the UN, and its subcommittee the MONUC whose work in the area is very con- siderable; to the OAU, to the European Union and to certain traditional partners of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mr President, The situation in the field has developed in a positive way despite the bad faith shown by certain signatories of the [1999] Lusaka Accord. The disengagement of the forces is at its final stage and that effective cessation of hostilities which was stipulated by the Accord is being observed to the satisfaction of all. However, a renewal of armed tensions has occurred in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the part under the oc- cupation of Rwanda. Those hostilities, which have wrongly been attributed to a supposed shifting of the war towards the rear of the Rwandan forces, in reality are the logical conse- quence of the foiling of a new plan by the Rwandan aggressor which consists in trying to "clean up" all forms of Congolese resistance in order to occupy more effectively the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo so as to, under si- lence on this, continue to pillage its riches. As to the disarming of armed groups, it should be noted that a plan DDRRR drawn up by the MONUC and the CMM has been adopted by that Political Committee which was instituted as part of the Lusaka Accord. It notably envisages the volountary disarmament of all the armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In accordance with this, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, reaffirming its good faith and its intention to im- plement on its part that plan, has regrouped and quartered at Kamina in the Katanga province 3,000 Rwandan combatants. [Note: This probably refers to combatants possibly comprising some of that "Interhambwe" militia whose presence on RD Congo territory has been advanced by the Rwandan rulers and their international imperialist backers as a pretext for the ongoing aggression against the DR Congo. The real causes and aims behind this war very clearly are quite others. - RM] A mission of the MONUC's is present there since some days back, for the identification of these forces. Mr President, As to the withdrawal of foreign forces, the final and total withdrawal of all Namibian forces has been noted. This move- ment of repatriation of foreign forces is continuing with the start of the withdrawal of Zimbabwean, Angolan and Ugandan mi- litary forces. Paradoxically, and in disregard of the urgent demands by the international community as expressed in the re- levant resolutions of the Security Council, Rwanda engages in reinforcing its military presence in the Congo. The process of national reconciliation sought for as part of the National Dialogue saw significant progress during the pre- paratory discussions on 25 August 2001 at Gaborone as a result of that Republican Pact which was initiated by the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo. I hereby am reiterating solemnly from this tribune the firm commitment of my government to participate fully in that ses- sion of this dialogue which is envisaged to take place in the Republic of South Africa and am calling on the Facilitator to make all possible preparations for the full treatment of those questions which have so far not been cleared, so that this fo- rum may regain that all-including character which was envi- saged in the Lusaka Accord and in the pertinent resolutions of the Security Council. The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has as its goal to include in this dialogue representatives of all parts of the population, so that the groundworks be laid for a de- mocratic state. I call on the international community to help, when the time for this comes, the Democratic Republic of Congo to organize free, democratic and transparent elections which will allow the Congolese people to endow itself with leaders of its choice, leaders having the legitimacy of the people, which is a warrant for political stability. Mr President, I am taking this opportunity which you are offering to me to call on the United Nation to take exemplary sanctions against all those states which are pillaging the resources of the De- mocratic Republic of Congo, and against their accomplices. Mr President, I cannot end my statement without thanking the members of the Security Council for their unanmous adoption, on 9 November 2001, of Resolution No. 1376, which condemns that formation of a mixed force which has been undertaken by the Congolese re- bels, at the instigation of Rwanda and in violation of the Lu- saka Accord, of the DDRRR plan and of all the pertinent reso- lutions of the Security Council. This resolution I am welcoming also since it notably envisages the deployment of Phase III of the MONUC, the demilitarisation of the city of Kisangani, the neutrality of the city of Kindu and the reconstruction of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mr President, In this statement of mine I have condemned those ignoble acts which have been perpetrated against the people of the United States of America and the people in the whole world. I have pointed to the catastrophic situation in my country due to the war of aggression since three years back. I have noted significant progress of the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which unfortunately risks being compromised on account of the bad faith of Rwanda and its Con- golese accomplices of the rebellion. I have underlined how indispensible is help by the internatio- nal community for a successful outcome of this process and the start of reconstruction of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Congolese people who has suffered so much only asks one thing of the UN and of the international community: That jus- tice be done, for the weak as well as for the strong, for the rich and for the poor. Mr President, your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I thank you. _______________________________________________________________ "NEWS ON CONGO" postings bring statements by the Congo National Association in Sweden and the DR Congo Committee in Sweden and also reproduce information and analysis from other sources. [This endnote is being updated continually, in order to show readers where at the time they can best get information. Last update of this note: 07.12.2001.] Some websites with information in English and/or in French on the DR Congo: Official site of the DR Congo: http://www.rd-congo.com/ Site of the DR Congo's Permanent Mission at the UN: http://www.un.int/drcongo/ (With much information, i.a. continually updated news in French and English; NB new address this year) Kinshasa newspaper l'Avenir: http://www.groupelavenir.com Great Lakes Press: http://pages.infinit.net/glp/index.htm Congo 2000: www.congo2000.com Two Belgium-based sites support the struggle of the DR Congo: www.lai-aib.org/index_fr.htm and www.ptb.be/Solidaire.htm Two other Belgium-based sites: ATMA: www.atma.net and Congon- line: www.congonline.com (the last only for subscribers). An English-language website managed by Richard Alcorn, USA, with i.a. much material from August 1998 on from us supporters of the DR Congo in Sweden: www.crocker.com/~acacia/congo.html (This site has no more recent material; last updated Nov 1998) AllAfrica.com: http://allafrica.com/congo_kinshasa/ (Replaces an earlier site, Africanews) Marekinc: http://www.marekinc.com (Managed by Ed Marek, formerly of the US Air Force. Often ap- parently well-informed and, of late, containing considerable criticism of the official US position on the aggression. Its informations should be treated with great caution anyway, ex- perience shows.) "Rebel" aggressor puppets, a site based in South Africa: www.congo.co.za Three discussions sites of interest: www.egroups.com/list/congokin_opinions (Belgium-based. E-group discussions are in French and English. For participation, contact <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> or <congokin_ [EMAIL PROTECTED]>.) www.egroups.com/list/cdf (Congo Defence Fund) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CONGOTRIBUNE/ (New, founded 09.11.2001) Some contact addresses: Congo National Association Box 5343 SE - 102 45 Stockholm Sweden Tel: +46 - 8 - 471 96 26 (chairman) +46 - 8 - 84 57 18 (facility) Fax: +46 - 8 - 751 26 06 DR Congo Committee (Chairman: Bony Ndjov-a-Shamalo) c/o Rolf Martens Nobelvaegen 38U4 SE - 214 33 Malmoe Sweden Tel: +46 - 40 - 12 48 32 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================