Sources: Reuters, NCN, ACP, De Standaard
After one week the UN-team went back tot Kinshasa. On December 16 the team had a meeting with some Congolese ministers. A communique issued by the Congolese government says that the premature departure is due to misunderstanding and that the UN-team will continue its work next year.
On December 11 mention is made of a serious slaughter by Hutu militia in the Mundene refugee camp. In this camp, situated in northwest Rwanda, several ten thousands of Tutsi are living, who fled from Masisi (North Kivu) to Rwanda during the AFDL-war. The Hutu militia came from the neighbouring Congo and killed more than 200 refugees in short time.
The U.S. Secretary of State Albright, who was visiting Rwanda as a part of her African tour from 9 to 13 december, condemned the cruel attack on the Tutsi refugees. She promised a U.S. probe of the facts.
There have also been fightings near the city of Bukavu in South Kivu. At the origin of these fightings are probably attacks by Congolese Mai-Mai troups that formed an alliance with Hutu militia from Rwanda and Burundi. The Belgian newspaper De Standaard writes about a new army: l'Armee du Soleil - consisting of Mai-Mai and several other ethnic Congolese groups - that wants, together with Rwandese Hutu, to "liberate the region from Tutsi domination".
On Christmas Eve, December 24, again mention was made of killings of Rwandese citizans by Hutu rebels. In this connection a remark by the U.N. Special Envoy, mr Sahnoun, is to be noticed, that there is a continuous trade of arms to the Great Lakes region, which makes that the situation there stays very unsafe.
The meeting of Albright and Kabila took place on December 12 in Kinshasa. During a following press conference Albright specifies the American policy to Congo. Apart from the $10 million to the World Bank trust fund, the U.S. is disposed to give a $35 -$40 million aid package for health care, financial programs and infrastructure. Reacting on remarks about the smallnes of the aid - Congo needs a billion dollar or more to emerge from the morass - the Secretary of State answered that for America trade is more important than direct aid.
. They made a thorough roundtrip during the following week and succesively visited: Taiyuan, capital of the northern province Shanxi, Nanjing, capital of the eastern province Jiangsu, and Shenshen, a town in the southern province Guangdong.
It seems that the aim of Kabila is to study industrial projects that produce presently the vast economic growth of China. In this respect he considers China as an example for Congo.
The results of the visit are positive for Congo. On December
18 Jiang Zemin and Kabila signed five agreements:
-China will lend 200 million yuan ($ 25 million) to the DRC.
This loan will be used to start the so-called Service National
(national service). The SN has the purpose to involve the
unemployed youth at the development of the country. The
government has planned 540 local projects all over the country
where ten thousands of youth will have a training in agriculture,
social engagement, sport a.s.o. The chief of the SN is commander
Kalume Numbi.
-China and Congo agreed about economic and technical
cooperation valued 50 million yuan ($ 6.25 million). This money
will be used to reinforce the national administration.
-China and Congo will cooperate in the field of investment.
-China provides 5 million yuan gift in materials.
-China helps with the rehabilitation of Congo's telephone system.
In addition, China agreed to participate in the reconstruction
of Congo, specially in the restoration of the roads.
The aid of China is presented free from prior conditions.
Inundation near Kisangani:
Before Christmas mention was made of
serious floodings of the Congo river near Kisangani in the
Eastern Province. Several parts of the city were flooded and
neigbouring towns and villages were also inundated. 20.000 people
had to be evacuated. Health minister, dr Sondji, announced that
there is danger of cholera. Help is given by UNICEF and ICRC.
After Christmas the waterlevel was said to go down somewhat.
Positive financial and economic results:
At the end of the year
finance minister Mawapanga gave a summary of the economic and
financial results of the past seven months, compared with the
previous period onder the Mobutu regime.
- inflation is under controll; in May it was 20%, and in November
0.5%.
- there is a substantial increase of tax and customs revenues,
thanks to the combat of fraud and corruption.
Monetary reform has not yet been introduced; first the banking
system has to recover
SNEL:
The Congolese electricity company SNEL expects to be able
to export in the next century 4750 magawatt electricity to other
countries as Egypt and other North-African countries. This has
to do with the restoration of the Inga electricity project.
Belgian assistence:
De Standaard mentions (12/12) that the
Belgian government has decided to allocate 60 milion BF for the
monetary reform of Congo. Another 30 milion BF is made available
for the departments of Education and Health.
Problems about mining contracts:
The contract with American
Mineral Fields for the exploitation of the Kolwezi copper mines
has not been ratified. On January 2, 1998, Reuter writes that the
Congolese state company Gecamines gave as explanation that AMF
lacked to pay cash in advance and that the tender to AMF has been
withdrawn. Reuter also mentions that Gecamines wants to review
the contract with Tenke Mining for the exploitation of the Tenke
Fungurume tailings.
(Note: The developments around the mining projects are not very
clear.It seems to us that the Congolese government does not give
priorities to the mining industries.At the top of the
government's list of reconstruction objectives are:
restoration of the roads, rehabilitation of the national
infrastructure and modernization of agriculture. The
institution of the Service National indicates that the Congolese
government aims to deploy the potential manpower - c.q. the
enormous quantity of unemployed youth -to agriculture revival
for the benefit of the Congolese people.We can conclude
that food production is of a higher priority for the
Congolese government than mining industry.
Maybe Kabila follows the Chinese policy concerning
exterior investments. The Chinese government controls the most
important strategic industries, like mining, whereas the "softer"
industries are opened for the free market.)
See also: chronicle 13