Global Policy Forum

By Robert Holloway

Representatives of all parties to the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo begin talks here Thursday that will probably decide the future of UN involvement in Africa's most complicated conflict. The two-day meeting, hosted by the UN Security Council, groups members of the political committee set up under a peace agreement struck on July 10 last year in the Zambian capital, Lusaka.

The council has authorized a force of 5,500 UN troops to monitor the Lusaka ceasefire, but so far only 228 have been deployed. United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan said Tuesday that deployment of the others depended on a demonstration of "genuine commitment" to the Lusaka accord by the warring parties.

The agreement was signed by President Laurent Kabila of DRC, by three African leaders who have sent troops to support him, and two others whose armies back rival rebel factions opposed to his three-year rule. The rebels, who signed the Lusaka accord in August, are also due to take part in the meeting.

The agenda includes two public sessions of the Security Council and a series of closed-door meetings and bilateral talks.

In a report to the council on Tuesday, Annan said the meeting was "a welcome chance for all the parties to undertake a serious re-evaluation of the deteriorating situation" in DRC. He said the council should "make it clear to the parties that their assurances of support for the peace process and guarantees of security and freedom of movement can no longer be taken at face value."

Annan is not expected to take part in the meeting himself, since he leaves New York on Thursday for a week-long tour of the Middle East. The visit had not been officially announced by Wednesday evening.

The council is scheduled to adopt a new resolution on DRC when the meeting ends on Friday afternoon.

In his report, Annan "invited" the council to take stern measures to order all foreign forces out of DRC. He asked it to start with Rwanda and Uganda, which both back rebel forces in the city of Kisangani, in the northeast of DRC. Kabila's allies are Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola.

Aid workers said that more than 160 civilians were killed and more than 1,000 wounded last week before the Rwandans drove the Ugandans out of Kisangani. The fighting violated an agreement between Rwanda and Uganda to withdraw with their rebel allies at least 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the city and allow the UN Mission (MONUC) to take it over.

The agreement was signed on May 8 by the presidents of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, and Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, while a delegation of seven Security Council ambassadors was in the region.

Council members congratulated themselves on killing two birds with stone, since the agreement paved the way to set up a joint headquarters in Kisangani for MONUC and the Lusaka joint military committee.

Annan asked the council to demand the withdrawal foreign forces, "acting under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter." This gives the council powers to impose a range of economic and diplomatic sanctions upon a UN member state, and to use demonstrations of force, blockades and other military operations if sanctions are not enough. Annan's spokesman, Fred Eckhard, told reporters that "what he has in mind is sanctions as an effective instrument should the parties reject or not carry out the council's demands."

To date, MONUC has deployed only 228 military observers, 200 of them in DRC and 28 to capitals of other Lusaka signatory states.

In his report, Annan said he had "ordered a full review and reassessment of troop levels and other requirements" before giving the green light to deploy the rest of the force.