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Rwandan Troops Withdraw From Congo
Rwandan troops began pulling back from their positions around a town on the front line of the war in Congo early Wednesday, marking the first major withdrawal since the war began 2 1/2 years ago, a Rwandan commander said.
About 3,000 troops were leaving Pweto, said Col. Karaka Karenze, head of operations for the Rwandan army. Five U.N. military observers were to monitor the pullout near the Zambian border, as agreed under a peace plan reached last year in Zambia's capital, Lusaka.
``This is generally in support of the peace process, but also a goodwill gesture which we hope will bring an appropriate response from the government in Kinshasa,'' Karenze said. Kinshasa is Congo's capital.
Rwandan soldiers began to leave their positions around midnight in order to pack before a five-day trip by convoy to Pepa, 160 miles northeast of Pweto. Karenze said all the troops were scheduled to pull out of their positions by midmorning Wednesday.
Karenze said control of the town will be turned over to the Congolese Rally for Democracy, a Rwandan-backed rebel group in Congo. But he added that if Congolese government troops or their allies try to enter Pweto, his troops will return in force.
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