Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kinshasa (Fides Service)- Mystery still surrounds the attack in Kinshasa (capital of Democratic Republic of Congo) at three in the morning last Sunday 28 March when gunmen assaulted army barracks, a naval on the River Congo and Ndolo military airport (see Fides 29 March 2004). “The international press immediately cried coup but the government played down the episode describing it as an attempt to destabilise interim institutions” Father Loris Cattani, Italian Xaverian missionary with long years of experience in Congo told Fides. “By playing down the attack the government would seem to want to protect the peace process and the work of the interim government ”.
The peace process in Democratic Congo has reached a delicate stage after the installation of a national unity interim government on the basis of peace agreements reached in Sun City (South Africa) in April 2003. The executive has the task of preparing political and presidential elections in 2005. The government includes representatives of the main rebel groups operating in the east of the country where at least 3 million people have died in civil war since 1998.
“The local papers came up with all sorts of ideas with regard to who was to blame” Father Cattani told Fides. “At first the assailants were said to be soldiers demanding their pay, but this hypothesis was immediately denied. Then they were said to be former members of the DSP Special Presidential Department which guarded the deceased dictator Mobutu, who had come from Brazzaville capital of the Republic of Congo where they had taken refuge to staged the operations to force the government to integrate them into the new national army”.
“Although the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Congo Brazzaville denied that the assailants came from his country, the overall impression is that the DSP is involved to some extent” Father Cattani said. “The papers gave the names of some interim government members said to be involved but President Joseph Kabila and his entourage seem to want to throw water on the fire by not confirming the indiscretions of the press”.
“My impression is that they want the transition process to go ahead. This is an act of responsibility on the part of President to ensure the country a better future ”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 1/4/2004, righe 33 parole 403)
