ANB-BIA SUPPLEMENT
ISSUE/EDITION Nr 328 - 15/07/1997
CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE
Congo (RDC)
Kabila's serious mistakes
by Kikuni L. Mashamba, Congo (RDC), 10 June 1997
THEME = POLITICS
INTRODUCTION
Mobutu out, Kabila in!
Kinshasa's enthusiastic
rejoicing over the city's liberation after years of dictatorship,
lasted but a day...
On 16 May 1997, ex-dictator Mobutu fled the country and went
into exile, thus ending 32 long years of dictatorship. He left
behind a nation in complete poverty. The "liberators"
(as the population of Kinshasa called them) were mainly young
men, less than 20 years old. They made their entry into the
capital, acclaimed by a joyous population. 24 hours later, the
Alliance's leader, Laurent Kabila, still in Lubumbashi,
proclaimed himself, "President of the Democratic Republic
of Congo". On 20 May, he made a discrete entry into the
capital to form his transitional government.
The people's joy and enthusiasm didn't last long. Initial
declarations made by Kabila and his associates were a major
let-down for the people, who expected better things from
those they called their "liberators".
Seven years of "transitional" rule by the previous
administration, had left the people with nothing but bad
memories. But now, what was promised? Kabila and his Alliance
said they would form yet another transitional government from
which the Opposition would be excluded. It was clear that Mr
Kabila was still thinking and acting like a dictator. He
took to himself full powers and even refused to meet with the
opposition leader, Etienne Tshisekedi. So the latter
declined to recognize the new government, stating forcibly:
"We don't accept another dictator no matter where he comes
from". He called on the whole population to resist any
attempt to impose a new
dictatorship.
Serious errors
Mr Kabila made a number of serious political mistakes:
- 1. The self-proclaimed President had rushed into
signing contracts with companies from South Africa, the United
States and Canada, even before achieving his final victory and
before becoming Head of State. This amounts to "selling-out
the country", the same as Mobutu did. So, nothing has really
changed.
- 2. On 18 May, in Lubumbashi, Kabila
proclaimed himself Head of State. This is completely against all
juridical norms. At the same time, Kabila forbade any other
political party and all demonstrations. Even when he formed his
new government, he did not consult with the opposition leader.
Kabila has 13 ministers in his government, 9 of whom belong to
the Alliance and are appointed according to party statutes. Thus,
the government is nothing more than a party running the State
with no Opposition permitted (just like Mobutu's MPR).
- 3. Worse still, Kabila is under the thumb of his
foreign associates of Rwandan and Ugandan Tutsi origin. These
receive instructions directly from Kigali and Kampala, and hold
the most important posts in the government, giving the impression
that the country is ruled by foreigners.
- 4. In Mr Kabila's inauguration speech on 29 May,
(considered by the people to be "empty words"), he did
not mention anything about national unity, a topic dear to all
in Kinshasa. He didn't even mention anything about the
opposition parties who prepared the way for him.
- 5. Mr.Kabila and his Alliance are also accused of
assassinating people in every corner of the country. This has
been a major blow for the capital's population who are not used
to such brutality. It's estimated that about a thousand people
have been publicly shot in cold blood ever since the Alliance
took over in Kinshasa.
Kabila and his Alliance are attempting to establish another
dictatorship. Mr Tshisekedi says this must be resisted at all
costs and Kinshasa's population are reacting favourably to the
call. Demonstrations and protest marches have been organised in
Kinshasa and other parts of the country. Yet, supported by Kigali
and Kampala, the new leaders have ignored what is going on -
just as Mobutu did previously. Mr.Tshisekedi has been placed
under house arrest. People are afraid that another terrible civil
war is in the offing.
Deceptions and accusations
People had high hopes in Kabila and his Alliance; now they feel
completely let down, and this is an on-going subject of
conversation. According to activists in certain political
parties, Kabila has sold-out Congo to the Tutsis of Rwanda and
Uganda, who want to re-colonise Congo with the complicity of the
United States and South Africa, as well as with some disaffected
Congolese. There is a document going the rounds in Kinshasa
concerning this re-colonisation plan. It's main details
are:
- 1. All senior posts must be given to Tutsis or
their allies. For example:
- As Foreign Minister: Mr.Bizimana Karahan, brother-in-law of
Kagame
- As Alliance army Commander: a former Minister of the Interior
in Rwanda;
- As Minister of Education: a Rwandan Tutsi;
- As next
governor of the Central Bank: Mr.Kahengeshe, a Rwandan Tutsi;
- As the Alliance's General-Secretary: a Ugandan Tutsi, nephew
of President Museveni.
And so the list goes on, but the above shows clearly the way
things are going.
- 2. Vehicles, important industrial equipment and
arms are dispatched to Kigali.
- 3. Diamonds and gold are sold from
syndicates operating in Kigali. Thus, diamond dealers from Congo
are obliged to go to Kigali to sell their products.
- 4. Only Tutsi businessmen get the opportunity to
undertake important deals.
Citizens of Kinshasa now realise that what was supposed to be a
"liberation", is in fact, turning the country over to
Rwandans and Ugandans. Getting rid of Mobutu was just a pretence
to realise the Tutsi dream of a Tutsi State in Central
Africa.
African solidarity or settling scores?
On the day of Mr.Kabila's inauguration as President, the
following Heads of States from neighbouring countries were
present: Museveni of Uganda, Buyoya of Burundi,
Bizimungu of Rwanda, Chiluba of Zambia, and Dos
Santos of Angola. These are all countries having a common
frontier with Congo. Their people are related to us either by
blood-ties or by history. These leaders worked together to end
Mobutu's dictatorship. Which just goes to show that Africans
can work together to achieve a common objective, for the
good of the people.
It's clear from many of the speeches given at the inauguration
ceremony, that there was an international conspiracy
against Zaire (as it was at that time). Heads of State from
neighbouring countries were out to settle old scores with Mobutu,
who had destabilised their countries. So they supported Kabila
with weapons, soldiers and other means.
Now the Marshal-President has gone and the war has ended. Dare
we hope for a new era of peaceful co-existence between people of
these regions? We don't think so! If the re-colonisation and the
occupation of Congo by the Tutsis is consolidated, then the
hatred between Tutsis and Hutus (never-ending in Rwanda) will
spill-over throughout Central Africa. In order to avoid such a
situation, Etienne Tshisekedi thanked all those countries which
had helped Congo free itself from the dictator. He asked that
their citizens should now return home and their leaders work out
how much the war has cost them (reckoned to be anything up to 800
million dollars!) It's an enormous sum, but one that has to be
paid, otherwise Congo will always remain an "occupied
territory".
Conditions for a decent way of life
Most urgent of all: the people's dignity must be restored. How?
By guaranteeing them a decent way of life. The population needs
food, housing, employment and means of communication. Some
worthwhile efforts have already been made, such as the lowering
of prices on basic items and a certain revaluation of the
currency.
Praiseworthy efforts indeed, but some people have
tried to convince the population to ignore the fact that the new
government is also embarked on what amounts to re-establishing
a dictatorship. But Kinshasa's population, supported by
Humanitarian Organisations and other political parties, is on the
qui vive, and has become hardened and
critical towards the new leaders who are lying, deceiving
and attempting to impose themselves on the people by force.
Look what's happened to Mr.Tshisekedi. He's been excluded from
the new government. And the people of Kinshasa have also noticed
many other inconsistencies among the country's new leaders, who
are not keeping their promises. For example, the bonus promised
to civil servants to help them get to and from work, is not going
to be paid. And the monetary reform scheduled for the end
of June has been postponed to a later date.
The monetary reform will involve Congo going back to its former
currency, the Congolese Franc. One Congolese franc will equal
50,000 New Zaires (NZ), and one dollar US will equal 2.5
Congolese Francs. The new currency will be guaranteed by the US
dollar and by the South African rand. The reform will also be a
chance for those with low incomes, to increase their buying
power. In doing away with the Zaire, the new currency will help
to efface the memory of Mobutu's reign. If the monetary reform
is to succeed it must be accompanied by an increase in production
and serious price controls.
Conclusion
The Alliance has won the war in Congo because the population and
the Opposition helped. That's why the Alliance must establish a
government of national unity, with representatives from
all political parties - and no exceptions permitted! The
population are asking that the leader of the radical opposition
be a member of the transitional government. Only thus can
national reconciliation be achieved.
The Congolese are not prepared to accept a government that
restricts their right to freedom of speech, freedom of
association and Press freedom. And this is precisely what Congo's
new president is trying to do.
Here and now, people want: Personal safety; Security of their
possessions; Strengthening the democratic process; Work; Nation
re-building; An equal share in profits; Elections.
END
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PeaceLink 1997 -
Reproduction authorised, with usual
acknowledgement