Africa, Headlines

DISARMAMENT-SOUTHERN AFRICA: Mugabe Tells Mandela to Shut Up

Lewis Machipisa

HARARE, Aug 20 1998 (IPS) - The Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and South African leader Nelson Mandela have publicly clashed over how to defend the government of President Laurent Kabila in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Angered by President Mandela’s remarks advising against military support to the DRC, President Mugabe Thursday said countries which want to keep out are free to do so, but should not criticise those favouring military intervention.

“Those who want to keep out fine. Let them keep out, but let them be silent about those who want to help,” said Mugabe.

Mandela, who is chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), opposes bailing out Kabila through the barrel of the gun, favouring a diplomatic solution to the army rebellion threatening Kabila’s 15-month-old government.

“Our attitude is clear in regard to this problem. It is not to worsen the position by sending a military force,” Mandela said this week. “We are committed to peace and that is our attitude, that is my attitude as chairman of SADC. We will do everything to bring about a peaceful solution,” he said.

South African media reports quote Mandela’s spokesman, Parks Mankahlana, as condemning the claims by Zimbabwe and Angola that the proposed action would be under the auspices of SADC.

“Anyone who pretends to be speaking for the SADC on this issue is misleading himself and the world. The question of committing troops is a very, very serious and complicated one. It is a decision that would require a gathering of the (SADC’s) 14 heads of state,” he said.

But Mugabe Thursday told journalists in Harare that there were no differences of opinion in the SADC region over military assistance to the DRC. Mugabe also noted that no country will be forced to send troops to assist Kabila’s army halt the rebel advance.

“We are involved in accordance with decisions taken and recommendations by our defence ministers. Each country will support the DRC according to its capacity,” said Mugabe.

“If South Africa does not want to participate, then fine. We will participate as Zimbabwe working with (other) SADC countries,” he added. “No one is compelled within the SADC states to go into a campaign of assisting a country beset by conflict.”

The Zimbabwean leader, who is chairman of SADC’s Organ on Defence and Security, however, refused to explain his country’s military strategy in the DRC.

He said that Zimbabwe is going to help Kabila in harmony with the decisions and recommendations made by several SADC defence ministers at a meeting Tuesday in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare.

On Tuesday, the Zimbabwean President said that several SADC countries had responded positively to “immediately” sending military assistance to the DRC to save the country from falling apart. The countries said to be involved were Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Mugabe emphasised the move to help the DRC was meant to safeguard lives in the Central African nation and that each of the countries will offer help according to its capacity.

The Zimbabwean leader said it was SADC’s duty to respond positively to an appeal for assistance from President Kabila to bail out a fellow member of the regional community.

Zimbabwean Defence Minister Moven Mahachi said Tuesday night that the SADC delegates had agreed unanimously to grant Kabila’s requests for troops and military equipment, because the DRC had fallen victim to a foreign invasion backed by Rwanda and Uganda.

But it now emerges that the decision to send troops was supported by Angola, Zambia and possibly Namibia, while Botswana said it had no intention of intervening. Tanzania and Mozambique are now reported to be favouring a diplomatic solution.

Rwanda and Uganda have been accused of directly assisting the Congolese rebels in their fight against Kabila. But a special envoy from Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni Thursday told Mugabe in Harare that his country was not involved in the rebellion.

The envoy, Amama Mbabazi, Minister of State in Museveni’s office said the problems in the DRC are internal, political and need political intervention.

 
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