Contacts:
Dr. Alafuele M. Kalala
Mr. Rohan Carney
Phone: (202) 463-9373
Fax: (202) 463-9374
Email: cdzcrm@freewwweb.com

The Rally For A New Society (RNS) is pleased with the outcome of the “Friends of Congo” meeting which took place in Brussels from December 3 to 4, 1997 between members of the international community led by the World Bank and members of the Kabila government.  The international community demonstrated a genuine will to alleviate the suffering of the Congolese people.  However, the “Friends of Congo” clearly articulated the need for the Kabila government to abide by the full respect of human rights, to show progress with the democratization process in the Congo and to insure the successful completion of the UN Investigations on the alleged massacres by the Alliance of Democratic Forces for Liberation  of Congo-Zaire (ADFL.) during the “rebel war.”

The RNS is pleased to see that the aid that was offered to the DRC concerned health, education and elections and that the 1.6 billion that the Kabila government had requested was not forthcoming.
The RNS supports cautious and constructive engagement with the Kabila gvoernment.  Constructive engagement must mean pushing the Kabila government in a positive direction, i.e. to achieve the democratization of the country and to (This part of the text is not clear, please insert).  The RNS applauds the idea of creating a trust fund rather than handing money to a government which is subject to no proper checks and balances. The money proposed for the rebuilding of a few main roads and the $30 million dollars offered for the preparation of national elections is a step in the right direction particularly if that aid is to be disbursed through Congolese and non-Congolese non-governmental organizations (NGOs).  Moreover, no serious serious consideration should be given to debt cancellation as long as long as no governemnt that enjoys popular legitimacy is in power in Kinshasa.  Such a moves should at least be tied to progress in the democratization process.

The Kabila government continues to demonstrate its authoritarian bent even during the week of the “Friends of Congo” meeting where during which Kabila banned international broadcasts, revoked the license of local journalist who work for international media, and expelled eight NGOs from the Congo.  The RNS vehemently denounces the continued wrong-headed policies and calls for the immediate reinstatement of the four journalists who have been dismissed from the Congolese Radio Broadcasting Corporation.