[R-G] DR Congo Update

Wed Mar 27 21:52:26 MST 2002

NEWS ON CONGO 040: GLAC: The Congo in danger
[Posted: 24.03.02]

NOTE: On websites with information on the DR Congo and for
some contact addresses, see endnote last in this posting.

INTRO NOTE:

Below follows, in my translation from the French, a recent
message from GRANDS-LACS CONFIDENTIEL (GLAC), Canada, a spe-
cial edition of its regular bulletins, published on 23 March
and posted to the CONGOTRIBUNE mailing list (address see
endnote) today 24.03: "ATTENTION: CONGO EN DANGER". The
original message cited in this special edition had the date
23 January 2002.

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.

After the foul murder of L-D Kabila on 16.01.2001, his son,
Joseph Kabila, was installed as president; a government led
by J. Kabila has continued the struggle against the aggres-
sion since then.

Since some weeks back now, a conference is being held in
Sun City, South Africa, in which attempts by the imperia-
lists to gain control over the whole of the DR Congo by so-
called "peaceful" means are confronted by the strivings of
the Congolese people and the country's lawful government to
retain the independence of the DRC.

The UN Security Council on 19.03 by its Resolution 1399
(2002) condemned the recent military seizure by the aggres-
sors, in flagrant violation of the present armistice, of
the city of Moliro in the south-east of the DR Congo, and
demanded the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of
the forces of the so-called "RCD-Goma", one of the agres-
sors' puppets, from that city.

End of intro note

[QUOTE - in translation:]

GRANDS-LACS CONFIDENTIEL
Founded on 13 January 1999
SPECIAL EDITION
23 March 2002

ATTENTION  -   ATTENTION  -  ATTENTION

To the attention of:

- The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo
- Congolese present at the Intercongolese Dialogue at
   Sun City, South Africa
- The United Nations organization
- Member countries of the European Union
- All human-rights organizations
- The African Union
- The press

Bujumbura (Burundi), 23 January 2002

Troops of mercenaries specially recruited by Rwanda and Ugan-
da [aggressor countries which are now, together with Burundi,
occupying approximately half of the DR Congo, at the instiga-
tion of the US and other imperialists - RM] are stationed in
the military camps in Bujumbura for transit to the Democratic
Republic of Congo, where they are to prepare for staging a
final assault for conquering the copper-producing city of Lu-
bumbashi, capital of the Katanga province.

Well-informed sources in the Burundian capital have disclosed
that "more than 15,000 mercenaries recruited in Somalia" are
stationed in the military camps in Bujumbura (Gakumbu, Ngaga,
Muha) in transit to Muliro (in the north of Katanga) at Lake
Tanganyika. At the time when GLAC received this message, a
contingent of these Somalian mercenaries had already continued
to the Congolese front.

A the time of our publishing this information, our sources
have said that the remaining contingent of the Somalian mer-
cenaries were still at Bujumbura late in the evening.

At the time of writing, these troups reportedly are on their
way towards Katanga.

According to the same sources, Great Britain, supported by
certain other Western countries, does not believe in the
ongoing dialogue at Sun City and fears that a success of
this dialogue would be detrimental to the alliances which it
has signed with Western multi-national companies for control-
ling the Congo.

Paul Kagame [strongman of Rwanda - RM] on his part is encou-
raging such an option as would permit him to conquer the Ka-
tanga, the mining heart of the Congo.

If Katanga were conquered, a march on Kinshasa would be only
a question of days.

All this comes only days after the Angolan defence minister's
declaration in which he clearly hinted that Angola [one of
the countries which has importantly supported the DR Congo
with military forces in its struggle against the aggression,
from the beginning of that aggression in August 1998 and in
the following years - RM] at present needs to concentrate on
questions having to do with its own security and would no
longer be involved in the Congolese crisis.

*Note for our readers' attention*

Because of technical problems which Grand-Lacs Confidentiel
has encountered lately, GLAC has opened a temporary mailbox
for priority messages to its readers. Please do not use this
mailbox for replying to us. For all replies and comments,
please continue to write to us at the following usual mailbox:
<glac at travel-net.com>.

[END OF QUOTE]

______________________________________________________________

"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: 24.03.2002.]

Some websites with information in English and/or in French on
the DR Congo:

Official site of the DR Congo (new, May 2001):
http://www.rd-congo.com/

Site of the DR Congo's Permanent Mission at the UN:
<http://www.undp.org/missions/drcongo>
(With much information, i.a. continually updated news in French
and English)

Kinshasa newspaper l'Avenir:
http://www.groupelavenir.com/Avenir-Quotidien/index.html

-------------------------------------------
Macdonald Stainsby
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-green
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international

"They are all Enron, we are all Argentina"
    --WEF protesters.
----
In the contradiction lies the hope.
                                     --Bertholt Brecht