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Rwanda to Withdraw Troops From DRC: Annan
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Tuesday that Rwandan President Paul Kagame had informed him of withdrawing troops from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Speaking to the press, Annan said President Kagame called and informed him Monday that his troops and his country will be withdrawing from Pweto, a key town in the far south-east of DRC, and they will withdrew 200 kilometers in the direction of their own country.
"I have instructed the UN observers and my special representative Kamal Morjane to get the observers ready to go and work with them on their withdrawal," the UN chief said.
"I think it is a very important decision and I hope it will set the tone and lead others to take the same measures and eventually have everyone withdraw from the Congo," Annan said.
"Another significant development last week is the decision by President (Joseph) Kabila (DRC) to accept former president of Botswana as the facilitator for the inter-Congolese dialogue and I think it is crucial," Annan noted.
"If you make progress on the dialogue and those who are fighting have a sense that they have a role to play and they can participate in national politics, you may be able to persuade them to stop the fighting," he added.
Rwandan troops occupy the eastern part of Congo to secure their borders against incursions from exile ethnic Hutu fighters. Many fled Rwanda after the 1994 genocide that ended with the minority Tutsis in power.
Rwanda and Uganda, which helped put the former president of DRC, Laurent Kabila, in power in 1997, turned against him a year later and backed the rebels trying to topple him. Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola then sent in soldiers to bolster the Congolese army.
Laurent Kabila was assassinated by one of his bodyguards last month. His son Joseph Kabila succeeded him.
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