AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO – ELIMINATE CORRUPTION TO RESTORE PEACE. RADIO MARIA MALKIA WA AMANI DI BUKAVU EXPLAINS SITUATION TO FIDES

Tuesday, 3 February 2004

Bukavu (Fides Service)- A government delegation to Bukavu, in east Democratic Congo in late January was the bearer of a message of peace and reconciliation for the entire country. For several years Bukavu was in the hands of the main rebel group Union Congolese for Democracy. Thanks to peace agreement which led to the installation of an interim government in July 2003, Congo is now trying to rebuild national unity.
Reconciliation was in fact the aim of the government delegation visit, Radio Maria Malkia wa Amani in Bukavu told Fides. The delegation was welcomed by cheering crowds. On his arrival at Bukavu airport Azarias Ruberwa vice president and delegate for security and defence assured the people that the war was over and that rumours of a fresh outbreak of fighting were totally unfounded. He said “there will not be a third war, today the most important thing is to rebuild peace ”. In the past 8 years Congo experienced two terrible conflicts. The first 1996-97, marked the fall of President Mobutu replaced by Laurent Kabila,backed by Angola, Uganda and Rwanda. The new President changed the country’s name from Zaire to Democratic Republic of Congo. In 1998 Kabila’s alliance with Uganda and Rwanda fell through. These two countries invaded the eastern regions and formed various supporting guerrilla groups. With the mediation of South Africa on 17 December 2002, government and guerrillas agreed to restore peace to Democratic Congo. On the basis of that agreement an interim government was installed in the Summer of 2003.
Visiting Bukavu Vice president Ruberwa affirmed that the national unity government had reunited the country in only a few months and this was a great success. The Vice president listed five main problems to be solved by the interim government: eliminate poverty, promote reconciliation, security, good government, democracy. Promising personal commitment to eliminate corruption in public administration, the minister asked people to send reports of corruption and bad management to his office.
In an interview with Radio Maria, minister of Public Finance Tabezi, said “the government has sent us to visit reunified territories to carry a message of hope to state officials.”
With regard to security the minister, said that the process of reunification of army and police is not complete. “The process will be slow” he said. (L.M.) (Fides Service 3/2/2004, lines 40 words 501)


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