Congo's New Hope

CONGO's pew president, Joseph Kabila, has indicated the possibility of implementing the Lusaka Peace Accord. Speaking to the strife-torn nation, he called for unity and reconciliation, pledging to revive the peace deal. This is a wise decision. It is time for a new Kabila, new thinking. If the young Kabila wants this, then he has rightly diverged from his father's intransigence. By this he holds the key to end the Congo crisis. And if he chooses to be like his father Laurent Kabila he will perpetuate the turmoil in Congo. With rebels controlling a large swathe of territory, it is foolhardy to continue fighting. No side can win this war. It can only be ended through peace negotiations. The people of Congo are dying in hundreds because of this war. This country has not had peace for years; its traumatic history begins with the authoritarian Belgium colonisation through Mobutu's dictatorship to Kabila's misrule. Both Mobutu and Kabila were one of a kind, neglecting the people and not effectively asserting government control over the whole country. The vast country remained undeveloped with no infrastructure and presence of government outside Kinshasa. The new leader representing a new generation of Congolese should steer away from the wrongs of his predecessors and put Congo together. Kabila's announcement should be followed by immediate ceasefire - his forces and allies should stop bombarding rebel positions. Kabila who has been at the war front in the campaign against rebels has witnessed the fatality of war. The people of Congo need a break from war. It is unfortunate that his allies have been pouring in more troops since the assassination of Kabila. The new leader should invest in relying on fellow Congolese other than foreign forces. The beginning point is through the Lusaka Accord. Ends