Museveni To Meet Kabila

DIRECT talks between Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo will take place in Arusha, Tanzania towards the end of this month, reports Richard Mutumba. Mr. Ralph Ochan, the Permanent Secretary in the foreign affairs ministry, said Tanzanian President, Benjamin Mkapa would broker the historic summit. Ochan said the talks aimed at finding a peaceful resolution to the crisis in the DRC and normalising relations between the two countries will be held on June 27 or 28. Kabila has in the past wanted to hold direct talks with Museveni, according to Reuters news agency. The agency said although the 29-year-old leader told a UN session in Geneva recently that he wanted the 'aggressors' out of his country, he assured UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in a separate meeting that he was determined to be at peace with his neighbours and wanted to hold talks directly with Uganda as well as Rwanda and Burundi. Kabila on Monday last week sent a special message to Museveni. The message was delivered by the DRC minister in charge of National Security and Public Order, Mwenze Kongolo. Although contents were not disclosed, sources said high on the agenda was a proposal for a meeting between the two leaders. The First Deputy Premier and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Eriya Kategaya, in April delivered a message to Kabila from Museveni. Kategaya said during his meeting with the DRC leader held at the OAU village in Kinshasa, he found Kabila a leader of good impressions. "I found him thoughtful and articulate. He has good ideas for his country. He told me his objective of taking power was to unite Congo and democratise it," Kategaya said. Kategaya said Kabila should be supported "because wherever he has been, he has expressed his readiness for peace and commitment to the Lusaka peace accord." Ends