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http://www.africanews.org/central/congo-kinshasa/stories/19990104_feat1.html
Congo Rebels Name Kampala Envoy
January 4, 1999
Kampala - Congo rebels have appointed an envoy to Kampala, prompting the
security to deploy Policemen to guard the embassy of the Democratic Republic of
Congo. A top security officer yesterday said the rebels have appointed a Kampala
envoy, but said the Government will not accept any confusion over the embassy
property.
The rebel "envoy," Gaston Mubawa Kangere, in an interview at the Nile Hotel yesterday, said he was appointed on November 23 as representative plenipotentiary of Congo to Kampala. He said another representative to Kigali was also appointed. Second vice-chairman of the rebel Rally for Democracy (RCD), Prof.
Arthur Z'Ahidi Ngoma, on a satellite link from Goma, confirmed the appointment of Kangere. "He is taking charge of our interests there (in Kampala)," Ngoma said.
Meanwhile, the rebels yesterday said they had captured the northern town of Zongo. Rebel official Sesanga Hipungu told Reuters that the small town at the border with the Central Africa Republic, about 1,020 km north of Kinshasa, fell on Saturday. Kangere, however, denied that he and Congolese loyal to the rebels had been asking the Government to take-over the embassy in Kololo, Kampala.
"This woman (the Congolese envoy) fled the country because of her ill-motives against us. She forgot that she was here to represent all the Congolese," Kangere said.
Sources said the Congo Charge d'Affairs, Isabella Iboula, had received threats, forcing her off the embassy premises. When The New Vision visited the embassy yesterday, two armed Policemen were on guard at the gate. A gatekeeper, who said he is a Congolese, said the embassy opens today.
Asked why the Police were deployed, he said, "To keep order in the premises in case of any eventuality." Last week the embassy dismissed rumours that Iboula had fled to Kenya with an embassy vehicle. "We shall soon open our offices in Kampala to aid whoever wants to travel to east DRC," Kangere said. In 1997 the then rebel chief Kabila's supporters attacked the then Zairean embassy here.
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