Zaire: Kofi Annan calls for negotiated solution.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 14 April said he was pleased that the two parties to the conflict in Zaire had accepted the five-point peace plan endorsed by the Security Council on 18 February in resolution 1097 (1997), but expressed concern that its implementation had not yet begun in earnest. As of our going to press, there was still no firm ceasefire.

Mr. Annan appealed to all Member States to press Laurent Kabila, leader of the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (ADFL), and his supporters in the Great Lakes region to seek a negotiated solution through a ceasefire and sustained talks on the future of Zaire. He said he was encouraged that Zairian President Mobutu Sese Seko had agreed to a dialogue with Mr. Kabila. "A durable solution cannot be achieved through military means", Mr. Annan stressed.

The Secretary-General said Zaire was "on the verge of major political change, but this change has to be managed, with the support of the international community, in a concerted and focused manner. In such situations, progress is usually made when the entire international community comes together."

Stressing that the stakes were high, Mr. Annan said, "if we are successful, Zaire could begin to move in the direction of national reconciliation, democracy and prosperity. If we fail, it will mean misery and stagnation for millions of people in the region."

With the ADFL having taken command of the diamond capital, Mbuji-Mayi, on 2 April and Lubumbashi, Zaire's second largest city and capital of the mineral-rich Shaba region, on 8 April, as well as of Kisangani earlier, it was poised to control much of Zaire's economy, as well as a third of its territory.

Talks between the Government and the ADFL aimed at resolving the Zairian conflict ended on 8 April in South Africa, with South African Deputy President Thabo Mbeki saying that the parties were developing "a spirit of mutual trust". The talks had been co-chaired by the joint United Nations/Organization of African Unity (OAU) Special Representative, Mohamed Sahnoun of Algeria, and by South African Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad.

According to a joint statement issued at a news conference attended by the two delegations, "both parties agreed on negotiations to bring about a peaceful political solution to the conflict. This necessitates a complete cessation of hostilities".

Secretary-General Annan immediately welcomed the outcome of the initial talks, saying that these had "established a positive working relationship between the parties, as well as the outline of a transition process to a peaceful and democratic Zaire". The next step, he said, should be to agree on a ceasefire, and he urged the forces of the ADFL and of the Zairian Government "to firm up their stated commitment" to a total cessation of hostilities.

Mr. Annan also said he was encouraged that the parties had reaffirmed their support for the UN/OAU five-point peace plan and had "committed themselves to transparent, fair and inclusive elections to bring about democratic change in Zaire".

The two sides had agreed to the talks and a ceasefire during a one-day special summit on the crisis in Zaire, held by the OAU in Lome, Togo, on 26 March and attended by the Secretary-General. In an opening statement, Mr. Annan had urged the two parties "to move to the negotiating table". Zaire had to move towards lasting peace and reconstruction, based on democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights.

The summit of the Central Organ of the OAU Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution had been convened to help push the Government and the ADFL into their first direct encounter. Along with the host - President Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo - and delegates of the two parties, the opening ceremony was attended by a large number of Heads of State and other government delegations from Africa. South Africa, a key mediator on the conflict, was represented by its Vice-President.

Council urges access for humanitarian relief

On 4 April, the Security Council strongly urged all concerned parties in eastern Zaire, in particular the ADFL, to ensure unrestricted access by United Nations agencies and other humanitarian organizations to guarantee the provision of humanitarian assistance to refugees, displaced persons and other affected civilian inhabitants.

Underlining the obligations of all concerned to respect the relevant provisions of international humanitarian law, the Council, in a statement read out by its President, Antonio Monteiro of Portugal, noted that some cooperation had recently been extended by the ADFL to relief agencies. It also urged the parties to cooperate with the United Nations in the implementation of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) repatriation plan for eastern Zaire, and called on the Government of Rwanda to facilitate the plan's implementation.

On 7 March, the Council expressed its "grave concern" at the deteriorating situation in the region, particularly in eastern Zaire. In a presidential statement read by Zbigniew Wlosowicz of Poland, the Council said there was an urgent need for a comprehensive, coordinated response by the international community in support of the efforts of the joint UN/OAU Special Representative to prevent a further escalation of the crisis. It called on the ADFL to declare publicly its acceptance of the peace plan.

The Council also expressed concern about the effect which the continued fighting was having on the refugees and inhabitants of the region, and called on all parties to allow access by UNHCR and humanitarian agencies to refugees and displaced persons, and to guarantee the safety of refugees and displaced persons, as well as of aid workers.

It took note "with concern" of allegations of violations of international humanitarian law in the conflict zone and welcomed the sending of a United Nations fact-finding mission to the area.

The United Nations on 14 March announced the appointment of Pierce Gerety as Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Great Lakes Region. Mr. Gerety, a United States national, succeeds Martin Griffiths, who has resumed his functions as Director of the Geneva Office of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs. The Regional Coordinator, based in Nairobi, coordinates the response of the United Nations system to the continuing humanitarian challenges in that region of Central Africa.

Five-point Peace Plan

The five-point peace plan endorsed by the Security Council on 18 February includes the following:

* immediate cessation of hostilities;

* withdrawal of all external forces, including mercenaries;

* reaffirmation of respect for the national sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Zaire and other States of the Great Lakes region;

* protection and security for all refugees and displaced persons and facilitation of access to humanitarian assistance; and

* rapid and peaceful settlement of the crisis through dialogue, the electoral process and the convening of an international conference on peace, security and development in the Great Lakes region.

RELATED ARTICLE: NGOs Brief Security Council

A group of non-governmental organizations - CARE, Oxfam and Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors without Borders - on 12 February briefed the Security Council on their efforts in the Great Lakes region, focusing on the tremendous problems aid agencies have had in getting access to deliver aid to populations in need, the growing risks to the lives of both civilians and workers, and the spread of conflict into other countries in the region.

"We discussed at some lengths our concerns over the last three years that, whereas, there had been considerable humanitarian activity, there had not always been political activity to match that", said David Bryer of Oxfam, following the meeting with the Council. He said a concerted and sustained political effort by Member States was required.

Earlier, the agencies, in a joint statement, said that the international community had tended to offer short-term responses to each successive chapter of the crisis. "It is time to realize the scale of the spreading conflict and the long-term danger it poses to the region. We are asking the Security Council to take action on the Great Lakes, to make it their highest priority", the statement said.