Congo chronicle XXII

April 27 - May 10 1998

sources: ACP, Le Soir, Reuters

Government

On April 30 the council of ministers approved the national budget for 1998, with the amount of $ 744 million. According to Reuters the national budget of the Mobutu regime was $ 300 million.
(note: For comparison: the Dutch national budget comes to $ 100 billion; in the Netherlands are 14 million people living against more than 40 million in the DRC. The Dutch government expends $ 8 billion for national health, $ 7 billion for defense and $ 17,5 billion for education.)

The Congolese budget is a so called conservative budget - that means that receipts and expenditure are in balance. Few information is given about the division of the budget. The minister of Information, Ghenda, told on the state radio that a large part will be allocated to pay the vast civil service and to settle salary arrears. Capital expenditure to reconstruct the country would make up 12,7 %. Till now the DRC has received under $ 100 million in bilateral and multilateral aid. The West has conditioned aid to improvements of the human rights, democratisation and payment of the external debt. Congo has inherited a debt of $14 billion from the Mobutu regime.

The minister of Justice, Mwenze Kongolo, has repeated the government's preparedness to cooperate with the office of the UN Hight Commissioner for the Human Rights. Within his ministry a human right section has been formed. Besides he is working out some other concrete measures: improvement of the prisons and the resettlement or re-education of prisoners, for which he wants to engage university staff. Kongolo stresses that the Congolese government does not exercise vengeance against old Mobutu dignitaries and that confiscated properties will be restored. Furthermore, an inquiry has been started on the conditions of courts and tribunals, which were subject to corruption and lack of means during the Mobutu regime.

The minister of Foreign Affairs, Bizima Karaha, has invited the former Mobutu dignitaries who still stay abroad to return home.They should not be afraid of any danger from the government's side. This is also the case for ex-Mobutu generals. Meanwhile, three 'famous' generals, Baramoto, Nzimbi and Mavwa - who at first were in South Africa - have been refused asylum by the authorities of Ivory Coast. On May 8, they arrived in Niger.

ACP reported on May 2 that the government has dissolved the administration board of the FEC (Federation of Congolese employers), just as of the other committees and the provincial boards of FEC. New administrators are to be elected, who will be satisfactory in the following conditions:
1. being able to explane the origin of their capital,
2. not having been engaged -directly nor indirectly - in the leadership of the Mobutu regime,
3. possession of the Congolese nationality.
The same requirements are demanded of the AFEC ( federation of young entrepreneurs).

The minister of Agriculture, Mawampanga, is dedicated to improvements of the agriculture, in cooperation with private enterprises. For recovery of coffee production, which previously was the most important national income source next to copper, four measures are proposed: improvement of the quality of the coffee plant, combatting the coffee disease tracheomicose, popularization of scientific knowledge among the farmers and recuperation of abandoned plantations. Total costs of these improvements are estimated $ 3.5 million. Financing will come from the Congolese government, the International Coffee Organisation and the UNDP.

The EU has promised an amount of $ 40 million for the reconstruction of agricultural routes. The Worldbank is ready to support the development of forest-region Ituri. The governor of the East Province, Jean Yagi Sitolo, discussed the repair of the forest roads with a Worldbank representative,who visited the region.

International contacts

Discussions between the ministers of Home Affairs from Uganda, Burundi and the DRC have led to a contract on April 26. Some elements are: cooperation of the three countries to combat the insecurity in the border territories, training of Congolese police by Ugandese instructors and agreement how to deal with the problem of the refugees in the region. Cooperation with UNHCR must lead to repatriation of the diverse groups of refugees.

The president of Burkina Fasso, Blaise Compaore, visited Kabila on Wednesday May 6. At this occasion, President Kabila has repeated the need for African States to work together and to resist foreign domination.

The Congolese government plans a great summit of African leader in Kinshasa, May 12 till 16. The theme of the meeting will be: Solidarity and Development. Leaders of 16 African states are invited together with representativesof some international organisations, like the OAU, the African Development Bank and UNDP.

The EU intends to pay attention to the security in the region of the Great Lakes. Special EU representative, Aldo Ajello, said that the "troika", Great Brittain, Luxembourg and Austria, will send a mission to Kivu. "Our intention is not mediation, but the promotion of peace," Ajello said.

Another initiative to reach more security was settled at a conference in Libreville (Gabon), April 25 - 30. Nine countries were represented: Gabon, DRC, Congo-Brazzaville, Burundi, Angola, Cameroun, RCA, Guinee Equatorial, Sao Tome/Principe. Some important measures that were accepted concern: tracing and detaining of illegal arms traders, banning of private militia's and combing out together the border territories.

On May 8 an agreement was signed with Congo-Brazzaville. It is supposed to restore normal circulation of persons and goods between the two cities on both sides of the Congo river.

On April 30 the Dutch ambassador Fred Racke was interviewed by the Congolese press agency ACP. According to Racke the AFDL has given new hope to the Congolese citizans, and it is natural that the international community will help Congo with the reconstruction. The Netherlands participate in the Trust Fund, set up by the World Bank, for which they have made $ 5 million available. Racke reminded the visit of minister Pronk to Kabila, October last year, and the visits paid to the Netherlands recently by Congolese officials. At that occasion health minister Sondji and the president of the Central Bank, Masangu, talked with their Dutch homologues. Racke expects that the introduction of the Euro will contribute to the development of Africa. ACP mentions: April 30 is the Dutch national holiday, because it is the birthday of the former queen Juliana, who ascended the throne in 1984. The Netherlands are situated north of Belgium, have a surface of 33.491 km2 and a population of 14 million.
(Note: the surface of Congo is 2450.000 km2.)

Minister of Industry and Small- and Medium-sized Business, Babi Mbayi departed on May 6 to Rome for talks with Italian government representatives. Italy wants to help with the introduction of medium-sized companies in steel-, cement- and sugar industry.

Social events

An investigation by a poll office, the Bureau d'Etudes, de Recherches et de Consulting National (BERCI) shows that the inhabitants of Kinshasa are not dissatisfied with the new government. 66% of the interviewees think that there is progress in security. The police no longer makes itself guilty of harassment, is disciplined and better equiped, says the opinion poll.

Reuters reported on May 3 that Kabila suspended his deputy chief staff of the army, Kanangele. He is accused of abuse of power and breach of discipline.

Le Soir reports on April 30 that the trial of commandant Masasu will take place in a military court in Lubumbashi. Recently Masasu escaped from the Buluwo prison together with two other known prisoners: Olenghankoy and Z'ahidi Ngoma. Now, all three are detained again. A Belgian is also captured: Andre Shetter, who is a friend of Olenghankoy. He is suspected to have contributed to the escape of the three man. President of the court is commander Mukuntu.

On April 28 again two activists are arrested: Paul Nsapu and Sabin Banza,the president and the vice-president of the Ligue des Electeurs (Liga of voters). They were run in by the ANR (National security service) when leaving the Belgian embassy. Belgian minister of Foreign Affairs, Erick Derycke, has declared his concerns to the Congolese ambassador in Belgium, Mrs Kasavubu.

Colloquium

In the Netherlands a colloquium will be held from May 22 till 24, organized by the Congolese diaspora. (see also our topical matters). The organisation of Congolese refugees in the Netherlands, MSAADA/CNS, which is the instigator of the Colloquium, wants to reflect on the possibilities of support from the diaspora for the reconstruction of Congo. Cooperation to

the Colloquium is conferred by the diaspora in Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Spain.

KRO

The Dutch broadcasting corporation KRO prepares a television interview with President Kabila. It will be a part of a programm series about African leaders. The broadcasting will be at the end of July and in August.

Communication

Le nouvel Afrique-Asie [April 1998] published an interesting interview with Congolese Communication minister, Kinkela. Here we give some of his remarks: "During the ancien regime Congo was practically inaccesible. Telephone traffic did not work, Internet was non-existent. When we arrived, we found 30 000 telephone lines that were not functioning. We have already repaired some 14 000. Private companies have 12 000 lines, so we have now a total of 26 000 telephone lines available for near 50 million people. Our aim is a total of 500 000 lines, or one line for every 100 people. This is a challenge for me! We are open to private enterprises as well: two concessions are already granted, one to the South African Unicel and one to the Congolese CWN. Some other companies are interested too:the American Afritel, Belgian Sait Telecom, and Anglo/South-A frican Plessey. The Chinese company Zhongzing Telecom is laying cable througout the country. But it is necessary for us to use the new wireless techniques extensively, for in many regions there is no electricity. Some enterprises are asked to investigate the possibility of using solar energy in the rural areas. We must make telephone connections for all hospitals, all schools, all airports, so that they can call to the capital. I will only be happy, if any child from a country village can call to his mother in Kinshasa."