Tz to solve Congo rebel crisis

Nov 20, 2000

TANZANIA has intervened in the leadership wrangles tearing apart the rebel RCD-Liberation Movement in the northeastern Congolese town of Bunia where 40 people died in the two-week clashes.

TANZANIA has intervened in the leadership wrangles tearing apart the rebel RCD-Liberation Movement in the northeastern Congolese town of Bunia where 40 people died in the two-week clashes. Emmy Allio quotes sources as saying yesterday that a delegation from Tanzania was in Kampala and was expected to participate in talks between the wrangling RCD-ML leaders. On Friday, presidential adviser on the Congo, Col. Kahinda Otafiire, transported to Kampala RCD-ML rebel leaders, Prof. Ernest Wamba dia Wamba and his deputies Mbusa Nyamwisi and John Tibasima. on the same day, the UPDF arrested Claude Tiza, the commander of the Usalama militia group loyal to Mbusa Nyamwisi. Mbusa's attempts to topple Wamba last August and early this month have been crushed by the UPDF. Wamba's camp said Mbusa was being backed by UPDF officers whom they said had economic interests in Congo. "We believe Mbusa is backed by Ugandan army officers wanting to install a stooge in Bunia to help them enjoy business interests there," a Wamba loyalist said yesterday. Wamba's spokesman Jean-Ernest Louis Kayiviro yesterday declared the coup over after the Usalama militia were dispersed. But Mbusa was on Saturday quoted by Radio France International as saying the coup was still on and that Wamba was being facilitated to return to Dar-es-laam University where he was a lecturer some time back. The UPDF has since last Friday taken control of Bunia town after the two-week chaos. Ends.

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