The Democratic Republic of Congo’s government yesterday refused rebel leader Laurent Nkunda’s demand for direct talks to solve the crisis in Kivu province, where tens of thousands of refugees are receiving international aid.
A two-month surge in Mr Nkunda’s Tutsi rebellion near the border with Rwanda has abated, with his troops entrenched around the province’s capital, Goma.
But a rebel spokesman said yesterday that Angola and Zimbabwe were mobilising troops to back government forces against the rebels, triggering concern about possible expansion of the conflict.
Zimbabwe denies this while Angola, a long-time ally of Congo’s government, has not yet commented. Congo appealed last week for Angola’s help.
Rebel spokesman Bertrand Bisimwa said the groundwork “is being laid for a generalised war in the region, and we will fight because we are obliged to defend ourselves”. He added: “Foreign troops are preparing to make war against us.”
He said Angolan troops were already in the lakeside city of Bukavu, a provincial capital south of Goma.
A UN official said no Angolans were in Congo and he was only aware of “talk” of an Angolan deployment but that no decision had been made.
Zimbabwean Deputy Information Minister Bright Mat-onga said the 17,000-strong UN peacekeepers already in the country would suffice. “Why would we want to go to Congo?” he said. “We’ve got problems of our own.”
In the capital of Congo, Kinshasa, government spokesman Lambert Mende said President Laurent Kabila’s administration was “open for dialogue” with all rebels and militias in the region – but would not meet Mr Nkunda’s group alone.
“Apart from dialogue, all that remains is war,” Mr Bisimwa said in response.
Rebel leader Mr Nkunda declared a unilateral ceasefire on October 29 and it has held. He claims the Congolese government has not protected ethnic Tutsis from the Rwandan Hutu militias who escaped to Congo after the Rwandan genocide.
But his own forces have also acquired a reputation for murder, rape and looting.
In New York on Monday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he would meet Congo’s Kabila and Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame for talks by early next week. Rwanda has enormous influence over Mr Nkunda.
The UN yesterday accused Rwanda of firing artillery into Congo at the height of fighting last week, spurring fears the war might already have spread. Rwanda denies its forces are involved.
Britain’s foreign secretary meanwhile highlighted the existing agreements between Congo and Rwanda as the basis for solving the conflict. In a statement following his two-day visit to the African country, David Miliband said both countries will need to work together to achieve a “lasting solution”.
“The conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is not just a threat to regional stability but also has appalling human consequences,” Mr Miliband said.
“The potential of the African Great Lakes region is enormous. The UK has invested considerable effort in it.
“While insecurity and violence persist in eastern DRC, the stability and prosperity of the entire region are under threat.”
He said the UK had increased its aid to the area by £5million in light of recent events. But he gave no hint whether UK troops would be sent to bolster the UN peacekeeping force.
Preparations to send out 90 tonnes of emergency government aid got under way yesterday, with thousands of blankets, plastic sheets, water buckets and water purification tablets expected to arrive later this week.
The UN estimates that over 1.6million people are now displaced across the DRC.