August 31, 1999
Lusaka - There is a glimmer of hope that the political tussle in the Democratic Republic of Congo may soon come to an end after a year-long conflict that has wrought immense suffering on the people. After much procrastination, leaders of the main rebel group-the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD)-which has been rocked by rivalry, have finally agreed to append their signatures to the Lusaka cease-fire agreement. The arrival of all the chief protagonists who are expected to sign the peace pact in Lusaka today is a culmination of an intensified diplomatic offensive in which President Chiluba played a leading role. Other regional leaders, including South African President Thabo Mbeki, played a part to achieve the desired rapprochement.
It was quite disconcerting to learn of the leadership wrangle in the RCD which led to violent clashes between the Rwandan-backed group led by Emile Ilunga and the rival faction of Professor Ernest Wamba-dia-Wamba which is supported by Uganda. The most logical compromise, under the circumstances, was to allow all the 50 founding members of the RCD to sign the cease-fire agreement to guarantee its implementation without any dissenting voices. We commend the mediation efforts of President Chiluba, whose role was complemented by that of President Mbeki and other leaders, for his perseverance and skilful handling of a delicate peace mission fraught with many dangers. But all the time, money and efforts that have helped to bring to fruition the cease- fire document will amount to nothing if the belligerents fail to observe the letter and spirit of the all-important document.
It is high time the warring politicians in the DR-Congo embraced one another and began to work for the common good of their people instead of wasting precious resources on war. Although the political scene in the DR-Congo has been deeply polarised since the downfall of the Mobutu dictatorship, we are convinced that the broad consensus favours a permanent cessation of hostilities to pave way for a more representative democratic set-up. Given the veritable chaos that presently reigns in most parts of the former Zaire, the democratisation process may take a much longer period to realise than earlier anticipated. The mutual mistrust that characterises the relationships among politicians in that country portends gloom if it does not give way to more flexible and accommodating dispositions.
But we know that even though politicians remain distrustful of each other, they are all weary of war. The collective desire to rebuild that country should not only be expressed on paper but should be translated into actual deeds. Politicians should moderate their ambitions because unbridled lust for power could ignite an even bigger conflagration as is the case in Angola. We hope the Lusaka truce agreement truly heralds the dawn of a new beginning in the DR-Congo.
