HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK
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NEWS ON CONGO 039: President Kabila's UN speech
[Posted: 07.12.01]
NOTE: On websites with information on the DR Congo and for
some contact addresses, see endnote last in this posting.
INTRO NOTE:
Below is reproduced, in my translation from the French, the
speech by the president of the DR Congo, Joseph Kabila, to
the UN General Assembly on 16.11.2001, as reported by the
Permanent Mission to the UN of the DR Congo (address, see
endnote) the same day. It touches on the situation in the
RD Congo and also shows the position of the government of
than country concerning the atrocities in the USA on 11.09.
In the DR Congo, then called "Zaire", an uprising against the
Mobutu dictatorship which had oppressed and fleeced the
people in favour of imperialism since 35 years back, started
in late 1996 and was victorious on 17.05.1997, when the pre-
sent state, the Democratic Republic of Congo, was founded.
The liberation struggle was led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila,
who also became the first president of the DRC.
The DR Congo from the start set itself the goal of freeing
the country from imperialist exploitation and building up
an actually democratic form of government in it, thereby
also setting up an example for all of Africa and for simi-
larly exploited countries elsewhere. Because of this, the US
and other imperialists instigated a war of aggression against
that country on 02.08.1998 by three neighbouring states, a
war which so far, directly or indirectly, has cost the lives
of over 3,000,000 people and which still continues. One-half
of the DR Congo today is under foreign occupation. The people
in the whole country continues to suffer enormously. It very
much needs the support of the people in all other countries.
On 16 January this year, L-D Kabila was foully assassinated,
obviously at the instigation of those same forces of imperia-
lism which are also behind the war of aggression against the
DR Congo. His son, Joseph Kabila, likewise a consistent op-
ponent of that aggression, was appointed president. Massive
attempts at subverting the government of the DR Congo and at
making it "accept" the aggression and capitulate to it con-
tinue.
A so-called peace process in the DR Congo continues, based on
an Accord signed at Lusaka in 1999 which stipulates that all
foreign forces are to withdraw and that a so-called national
dialogue is to be held in the country, including with those
so-called "rebel" forces which are helping the aggressors -
this last, outrageous, condition was seen as necessary to
accept by the Congolese government at the time. What will be
the outcome of this "peace process" still is unclear.
End of into note.
SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE DR CONGO, JOSEPH KABILA,
AT THE 56TH SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE UN,
16 NOVEMBER 2001
Mr President,
First of all, I would like to add my voice to those of the
illustrious speakers who have preceded me on this tribune in
order to extend to you, on behalf of the Congolese people and
on my own behalf, my warm congratulations on your election
as President of the 56th Ordinary Session of the General As-
sembly of the United Nations.
The Republic of Korea, your country, maintains excellent re-
lations with mine. May I be allowed also to salute warmly Mr
Kofi Annan, that worthy son of Africa, for his re-election as
General Secretary of the United Nations and for that Nobel
Price which has been awarded him, crowning his endeavours for
promoting peace in the world.
Mr President,
The people of the Democratic Republic of Congo, its government
and I myself unreservedly condemn those blind acts of terro-
rism which plunged America and all of humanity into sorrow on
11 September 2001.
These are acts of wanton violence which only merit contempt on
the part of the entire international community and all nations
which love peace and justice.
Applying the Resolution No. 1373 by the Security Council of
the United Nations, my government promises full co-operation
for the success of every initiative in the direction of eradi-
cating terrorism in all its forms.
Mr President,
The Congolese people, who is itself the innocent victim of the
Rwandan-Ugandan-Burundian war of aggression, this other form
of terrorism characterized by acts of barbarism which have
caused, directly or indirectly, the deaths of millions of
Congolese, indeed can understand very well the vile character
of those grievous events which took place in the United States
of America on 11 September 2001.
Mr President,
It would carry to far to go into, on this occasion, the ori-
gins and the consequences of that war of aggression which was
unleashed on 2 August 1998 in flagrant violation of the Char-
ters of the UN and the OAU [Organization of African Unity].
Being also an adherent of the logic of peace and conscious of
the fact that only a peaceful settlement will bring durable
peace, I cannot but salute those numerous initiatives for
peace which have been undertaken in order to find a solution
by negotiations.
I have in mind in particular President Chiluba of Zambia,
designated Mediator of the Lusaka peace process.
I have in mind equally the SADC [South African Development
Community] and quite in particular Angola, Namibia and Zimbab-
we which, in accordance with the Charter of the SADC, have
come to the help of my attacked country.
My thanks and my gratitude also are directed to the UN, and
its subcommittee the MONUC whose work in the area is very con-
siderable; to the OAU, to the European Union and to certain
traditional partners of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mr President,
The situation in the field has developed in a positive way
despite the bad faith shown by certain signatories of the
[1999] Lusaka Accord.
The disengagement of the forces is at its final stage and that
effective cessation of hostilities which was stipulated by the
Accord is being observed to the satisfaction of all.
However, a renewal of armed tensions has occurred in the east
of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the part under the oc-
cupation of Rwanda. Those hostilities, which have wrongly
been attributed to a supposed shifting of the war towards the
rear of the Rwandan forces, in reality are the logical conse-
quence of the foiling of a new plan by the Rwandan aggressor
which consists in trying to "clean up" all forms of Congolese
resistance in order to occupy more effectively the eastern
part of the Democratic Republic of Congo so as to, under si-
lence on this, continue to pillage its riches.
As to the disarming of armed groups, it should be noted that a
plan DDRRR drawn up by the MONUC and the CMM has been adopted
by that Political Committee which was instituted as part of the
Lusaka Accord. It notably envisages the volountary disarmament
of all the armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In
accordance with this, the government of the Democratic Republic
of Congo, reaffirming its good faith and its intention to im-
plement on its part that plan, has regrouped and quartered at
Kamina in the Katanga province 3,000 Rwandan combatants.
[Note: This probably refers to combatants possibly
comprising some of that "Interhambwe" militia whose
presence on RD Congo territory has been advanced by the
Rwandan rulers and their international imperialist
backers as a pretext for the ongoing aggression against
the DR Congo. The real causes and aims behind this war
very clearly are quite others. - RM]
A mission of the MONUC's is present there since some days back,
for the identification of these forces.
Mr President,
As to the withdrawal of foreign forces, the final and total
withdrawal of all Namibian forces has been noted. This move-
ment of repatriation of foreign forces is continuing with the
start of the withdrawal of Zimbabwean, Angolan and Ugandan mi-
litary forces. Paradoxically, and in disregard of the urgent
demands by the international community as expressed in the re-
levant resolutions of the Security Council, Rwanda engages in
reinforcing its military presence in the Congo.
The process of national reconciliation sought for as part of
the National Dialogue saw significant progress during the pre-
paratory discussions on 25 August 2001 at Gaborone as a result
of that Republican Pact which was initiated by the government
of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
I hereby am reiterating solemnly from this tribune the firm
commitment of my government to participate fully in that ses-
sion of this dialogue which is envisaged to take place in the
Republic of South Africa and am calling on the Facilitator to
make all possible preparations for the full treatment of those
questions which have so far not been cleared, so that this fo-
rum may regain that all-including character which was envi-
saged in the Lusaka Accord and in the pertinent resolutions of
the Security Council.
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has as its
goal to include in this dialogue representatives of all parts
of the population, so that the groundworks be laid for a de-
mocratic state.
I call on the international community to help, when the time
for this comes, the Democratic Republic of Congo to organize
free, democratic and transparent elections which will allow
the Congolese people to endow itself with leaders of its
choice, leaders having the legitimacy of the people, which is
a warrant for political stability.
Mr President,
I am taking this opportunity which you are offering to me to
call on the United Nation to take exemplary sanctions against
all those states which are pillaging the resources of the De-
mocratic Republic of Congo, and against their accomplices.
Mr President,
I cannot end my statement without thanking the members of the
Security Council for their unanmous adoption, on 9 November
2001, of Resolution No. 1376, which condemns that formation of
a mixed force which has been undertaken by the Congolese re-
bels, at the instigation of Rwanda and in violation of the Lu-
saka Accord, of the DDRRR plan and of all the pertinent reso-
lutions of the Security Council.
This resolution I am welcoming also since it notably envisages
the deployment of Phase III of the MONUC, the demilitarisation
of the city of Kisangani, the neutrality of the city of Kindu
and the reconstruction of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mr President,
In this statement of mine I have condemned those ignoble acts
which have been perpetrated against the people of the United
States of America and the people in the whole world.
I have pointed to the catastrophic situation in my country due
to the war of aggression since three years back.
I have noted significant progress of the peace process in the
Democratic Republic of Congo, which unfortunately risks being
compromised on account of the bad faith of Rwanda and its Con-
golese accomplices of the rebellion.
I have underlined how indispensible is help by the internatio-
nal community for a successful outcome of this process and
the start of reconstruction of the Democratic Republic of
Congo.
The Congolese people who has suffered so much only asks one
thing of the UN and of the international community: That jus-
tice be done, for the weak as well as for the strong, for the
rich and for the poor.
Mr President, your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I thank
you.
_______________________________________________________________
"NEWS ON CONGO" postings bring statements by the Congo National
Association in Sweden and the DR Congo Committee in Sweden and
also reproduce information and analysis from other sources.
[This endnote is being updated continually, in order to show
readers where at the time they can best get information. Last
update of this note: 07.12.2001.]
Some websites with information in English and/or in French on
the DR Congo:
Official site of the DR Congo:
http://www.rd-congo.com/
Site of the DR Congo's Permanent Mission at the UN:
http://www.un.int/drcongo/
(With much information, i.a. continually updated news in French
and English; NB new address this year)
Kinshasa newspaper l'Avenir:
http://www.groupelavenir.com
Great Lakes Press: http://pages.infinit.net/glp/index.htm
Congo 2000: www.congo2000.com
Two Belgium-based sites support the struggle of the DR Congo:
www.lai-aib.org/index_fr.htm and www.ptb.be/Solidaire.htm
Two other Belgium-based sites: ATMA: www.atma.net and Congon-
line: www.congonline.com (the last only for subscribers).
An English-language website managed by Richard Alcorn, USA,
with i.a. much material from August 1998 on from us supporters
of the DR Congo in Sweden: www.crocker.com/~acacia/congo.html
(This site has no more recent material; last updated Nov 1998)
AllAfrica.com: http://allafrica.com/congo_kinshasa/
(Replaces an earlier site, Africanews)
Marekinc: http://www.marekinc.com
(Managed by Ed Marek, formerly of the US Air Force. Often ap-
parently well-informed and, of late, containing considerable
criticism of the official US position on the aggression. Its
informations should be treated with great caution anyway, ex-
perience shows.)
"Rebel" aggressor puppets, a site based in South Africa:
www.congo.co.za
Three discussions sites of interest:
www.egroups.com/list/congokin_opinions
(Belgium-based. E-group discussions are in French and English.
For participation, contact <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> or <congokin_
[EMAIL PROTECTED]>.)
www.egroups.com/list/cdf
(Congo Defence Fund)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CONGOTRIBUNE/
(New, founded 09.11.2001)
Some contact addresses:
Congo National Association
Box 5343 SE - 102 45
Stockholm
Sweden
Tel: +46 - 8 - 471 96 26 (chairman)
+46 - 8 - 84 57 18 (facility)
Fax: +46 - 8 - 751 26 06
DR Congo Committee (Chairman: Bony Ndjov-a-Shamalo)
c/o Rolf Martens
Nobelvaegen 38U4
SE - 214 33 Malmoe
Sweden
Tel: +46 - 40 - 12 48 32
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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