For Immediate Release                                               January 17, 2001

Contact:
Dr. Alafuele M. Kalala
President, RNS
202-463-9373

President Kabila's Death: Let Us Turn this Tragedy into an Opportunity!

(Washington, DC) The Rally For A New Society (RNS) deplores the death of Laurent Desire Kabila of Congo. The RNS is very concerned about the current situation in the country. Although change was necessary and critical in the Congo, it is unfortunate the way it happened. A critical lesson should be drawn from the manner in which President Kabila was removed from power. Force is no way to assume power nor is it wise to exclude the diverse forces within a country that would like to participate in building the future of their nation. Staying in power by force almost always induces one's removal by force which benefits no one and damages far too many.

Now that the authoritarian rule of Laurent Desire Kabila has been abruptly ended, where do we go from here? How do we assure peace and security in the Congo and Central Africa?

The following actions, with the assistance of the International community will have to be undertaken immediately, concomitantly, and decisively in order to prevent a spiraling into chaos and unfathomable bloodshed:

1. To undertake immediately all he necessary steps for the formation of a government of national unity, which will unleash the pre-transitional process, insofar as the truly transitional process will start at the end of the inter-Congolese political negotiations.

2. To urgently organize the Inter-Congolese political negotiations. This process should be organized without further delay and on the model of the Somali National Peace Conference, which was held successfully last summer in Arta, Djibouti under the auspices of President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti. The process must be open to all Congolese, and no viable Congolese entity should be excluded. The rebel forces must therefore cease their military offensives immediately.

This is truly a grave moment for Congo and Africa. We hereby are calling on the Congolese political class to mobilize around this tragedy, not for any personal gains, but with deep conviction and sincere determination to advance peace and democracy in Congo, Central Africa, and the Great Lakes region of Africa. President Kabila's tragedy provides an opportunity to solve the Congolese problem and the problems of the region once and for all.

We strongly urge the international community, especially the United States of America, France, Belgium, Great Britain, Germany and South Africa, to support genuinely the transition and the peace process in the Congo. We urge President Chiluba of Zambia, the major sponsor of the Lusaka agreement, to undertake steps to advance the Inter-Congolese negotiations as soon as possible. It is an ill wind that blows nobody any good. Let us all rise to the occasion and make something good and lasting out of the unfortunate tragedies which have been besieging the people of Congo.

We urge the governments of Uganda, Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Rwanda to rise above their national concerns and act in the interest of all of our people and the interest of all the people of Africa. They can best do so by fostering a peaceful means of bringing the crisis in the Congo to an immediate end.

Time is of essence, all parties involved in the crisis must rally around the Lusaka agreements immediately and seize this rare opportunity to solidify a transitional process that will lead to peace and democracy for a people who have labored under brutal dictatorships for far too long. This is the only way out and this is the way of reason and decency.