Congolese are said to be expressing frustration over thefailure of Sunday's regional heads of state summit to come up with a crediblesolution to the security situation in the eastern part of the country. Leadersof the Southern African Development community (SADC) meeting in JohannesburgSunday called for calm in the country and pledged to send peacekeepers tomaintain peace in the DRC. Meanwhile, the United Nations said fightingcontinued Sunday as rebels led by General Laurent Nkunda clashed withpro-government militias leading to a dramatic increase in the number ofinternally displaced people in the restive North Kivu Province.
JackKahora is the VOA correspondent in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Hetells reporter Peter Clottey from Goma, the capital of north Kivu thatCongolese are disappointed with the regional body's inaction.
"Whenthe summit was called, most people in eastern DRC were expecting peace comingto the region, but this was not the case. The same day the summit was takingplace we were in Kibaki camp, which is located at some 10 kilometers in thenorth of Goma. And most of the IDP'S (Internally Displaced Persons) were surethat the summit could bring them peace so that they can get an opportunity togo back home. But it was a surprise when the outcome of the summit that theyshould observe the ceasefire and to enable the corridor, which would enablehumanitarian organizations to bring in assistance," Kahora said.
Hesaid the directive of the regional body fell short of providing what most ofthe displaced persons were hoping for.
"Thisdidn't respond to the needs of the people and they were disappointed. In factbefore the regional summit, the rebels themselves has said that they were goingobserve a ceasefire to enable humanitarian organizations to have access to theIDPS (internally displaced persons). So, the summit didn't change anything anddidn't bring anything new towards the situation in the region," he said.
Kahorasaid the regional summit failed to address the core issue of the escalatedviolence in the north Kivu province.
"Thatis the problem and people think that is the reality, which is not so much inthe open. What people think is that there is a conflict and the crisis isreally known that there is a problem between President Joseph Kabila and therebels. In fact people often say that why doesn't the government of Kabila justgive an opportunity to the rebels to express exactly what they need becausepeople would like to exactly what are the complains and what are the claims ofthe rebels. But they don't have that opportunity so that people can appreciateif really this is what they claim they want to present. That was it really areality or was it something that can be claimed," Kahora pointed out.
Hesaid the government is refusing to hold talks with the rebels loyal to renegadeGeneral Laurent Nkunda.
"Whatwe can hear is that the government and President Kabila say they don't want tonegotiate with the rebels. There is no dialogue between the government and therebels, but meanwhile people feel a threat to their lives. Today for instancemost of the shops didn't open because they are afraid that the rebels may cometo the town at anytime and they would lose all they have worked for. Most ofthe towns' services did not open today saying it seems there is peace, but itis not peace that people could feel," he said.
Kahorasaid the new prime minister is promising to address the escalating violence inthe eastern part of the country.
"Wehave welcomed to the region the new Prime Minister Mr. Adolphe Muzito. He wasin Goma recently. He was also in Bukavu and in the Oriental Province to see thesituation of the region and to have meetings with the different authorities inthe area, and he said that he was going to solve the conflict in three ways:political ways, diplomatic and also military ways, and those are the threeoptions he would take to solve the conflict, which is prevailing in theregion," Kahora pointed out.