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Wednesday 31, August
2005
Congo army rebel threatens to overthrow
Kabila
Reuters KINSHASA,
Aug 31 (Reuters) - A renegade Tutsi general who led an uprising in Congo last
year has broken months of silence and said the time had come to overthrow
President Joseph Kabila. General Laurent Nkunda rocked Congo's fragile peace process when he attacked and seized the eastern Congolese town of Bukavu in May last year, only pulling out under international pressure. Kabila's office dismissed Nkunda's latest threats, which were made in a letter written on Aug. 25 and seen by Reuters. "We believe that the moment has arrived to begin using all necessary means to overthrow this government and replace it with a power that is inclusive, non-conflictual and capable of restoring peace in the republic," Nkunda said in the letter. "Congolese lives are priceless. Every man killed, every woman held hostage, raped or sold in public, and every child burned or buried alive goes to justify the offensive against Kabila's plan and the dismantlement of his clan," he added, referring to what he says are rights abuses by army soldiers. Following a massacre of Congolese Tutsis in Burundi last year, Nkunda published a similar letter calling for military action but none was taken. Kabila's office dismissed the rebel's latest threat. "We are not going to waste our time worrying about Nkunda," said presidential spokesman Kudura Kasongo. Despite calls from donors and many Congolese for Nkunda's arrest, he remains at large in the North Kivu province, underlining the struggle Kinshasa faces in imposing authority over a country divided during a 1998-2003 war that sucked in six countries and killed nearly 4 million people. Officials in the U.N. peacekeeping mission, which was widely criticised for failing to stop Nkunda seizing Bukavu, said it was monitoring the situation, especially given the risk of ethnic tension over voter registration ahead of 2006 polls. "We are keeping an eye on things," a military source told Reuters. "He may not launch a big attack but he could try and spark a crisis so he is at the centre of attention again." Kabila heads a transitional government that is charged with leading Congo to elections after five years of war but the polls have been delayed and critics accuse the government of dragging its feet to stay in power longer. Congolese across the vast country are registering for elections, now rescheduled for mid-2006, but army integration has stalled and bands of armed men continue to roam the east, preying on civilians. |
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