NEWS ON CONGO 016: Allies stay, US exert pressure [Posted: 01.11.98] [Note: A new source of information on the liberation struggle of the DR Congo is the French-language site Solidarité avec le noveau Congo, at . It's listed to- gether with other sources at the end of this posting.] The Democratic Republic of Congo is fighting a just war of de- fence and of national liberation against the invasion by Rwanda, which has one-half of its armed forces in that country, and Uganda. The aggressors are acting as proxies of international imperia- lism, US imperialism in particular, aiming to subjugate and re- colonize the DR Congo. They at present are occupying more than a third of the country, including the mineral-rich eastern pro- vinces. After the invading forces succeeded in taking the strategic city of Kindu some 350 km west of Rwanda on 12 October, few informa- tions on the war have been brought by the international reac- tionary mass media. These are still systematically trying to convince people that what is going on is not an aggression but a "rebellion", in a Big Lie operation similar to that which was perpetrated during the Vietnam war in the 60s and early 70s. While the aggression is being supported, more or less openly, by all the so-called "rich" countries, it has been condemned and counteracted in various ways by the large majority of Afri- can countries, and by a number of other countries for instance in South America. In particular, those countries which came to the aid of the DR Congo in late August by sending troops and equipment, Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, have resisted massive pressure from the USA and also from the European Union to stop supporting the just liberation struggle. They since mid-October have transferred forces to the eastern DR Congo, joined also by troops from the Chad, and are supporting Congolese forces in a counter-offen- sive. Angolan president Jose Eduardo dos Santos said concerning this after a meeting of the allies in Harare, Zimbabwe, in a televi- sion speech on 21.10, as reported by Angolan Daily News: "The allied countries reaffirmed their solidarity with President Kabila and his government. They also reitera- ted their desire to continue fighting alongside the DRC forces to defend the country from aggression by Rwanda and Uganda, whose armies are currently involved in a major offensive in the DRC's Eastern Region. It was also found that the Victoria Falls Declaration has not been complied with. This declaration was signed by all coun- tries involved in the conflict, including Uganda and Rwanda. The allied countries have observed the princip- les contained in the declaration, notably by containing the war effort and not embarking on offensive opera- tions. In contrast, the Rwandan and Ugandan forces have shown utter disregard for the undertakings made then and have launched a major offensive resulting in the occupation of several cities." This shows up a "principle" in this war of imperialist aggres- sion by proxy: When the direct aggressors advance, they are not counteracted by the imperialist states but are applauded by them - and no doubt constantly supplied with war material by them, on the sly. When they meet with a check, there is a cla- mour for "all forces", invaders and defenders alike, to "stop fighting", a conference is called for, to reach an "agreement" - which is then immediately broken by the aggressors. For the people of the DR Congo, this war has meant enormous deprivations. Those living in the occupied east are being sub- jected to terror. Also for the people in the capital, Kinshasa, who importantly contributed to defeating the aggressors in the west in August, the situation is very difficult on account of big price rises caused by the war. The Congolese people very much needs international support. COUNTER-OFFENSIVE IN THE EAST - FEW FACTS ARE KNOWN According to reports more than a week ago, Zimbabwe has in- reased its troop contingent in the DR Congo to some 5,000, all now deployed in the east. (For comparison concerning military strength, it may be noted that reportedly it was some 9,000 aggressor troops who captured Kindu from 5,000 Congolese defen- ders on 12.10.) The allied forces are said to include some 20 Angolan and Zim- babwean jet fighters and a number of Angolan Mi-24 and Mi-25 he- licopter gunships. They have been stationed in Lubumbashi in the south, in the "diamond capital" Mbuji-Mayi (some 450 km south- west of Kindu), against which aggressor forces reportedly have been moving, and in other places along the eastern front. The city of Bunia in the north-east, close to the border to Uganda, was liberated by Congolese and Chadian forces on 23.10. In the south-east, Congolese and allied forces have counter- attacked near Kalemie (situated close to Lake Tanganyika). Few other details are known concerning the fighting in the east. But a recent report (by Colette Braeckman in Belgian daily le Soir) confirms the massive Rwandan involvement in the mid-October struggle for Kindu. After the conquest of that city, at least three medium-sized transport aircraft were ob- served flying in shuttle traffic between it and Kigali, the Rwandan capital. Large Antonov transport planes as well as an armoured column also were observed leaving Rwanda on their way to the DR Congo. In a recent statement, a representative of Tanzania said that his country would not allow its airspace to be used by planes bringing supplies to the aggressors in the Congo; such aircraft would instantly be fired on. ARSONIST IS "MERITORIOUS FIRE-FIGHTER", ACCORDING TO THE US In a declaration by the US State Department on 20.10, several African heads of state were lauded for their (real or purpor- ted) efforts at effecting peace in the DR Congo. Provocatively and in a very telling manner, included among them was Ugandan president Museveni - precisely one of the leaders of the ag- gressors. This of course is equivalent with commending an ar- sonist for "his fire-fighting efforts". And it shows one more time who it is that has put out a contract for that arson. The European Community and also for instance the Social-Demo- cratic party here in Sweden have invited, from the DR Congo, one person to speak at meetings in Europe - namely, the so- called "opposition leader" Tshisekedi, who in practice has long functioned as an agent of US imperialism and whose so-called "peace program" precisely conicides with the program of the ag- gressors. These invitations thus must be considered as acts of rather open support of the efforts to subjugate the DR Congo. The US have sent Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Susan Rice to Africa, in one more move to put pressure on the DR Congo and its allies to capitulate to the aggressors. She spent as much as three days in appartently fruitless efforts for this in Angola and has recently arrived in Kinshasa. Who will persuade, if possible, the USA and other imperialist countries to stop instigating and supporting this aggression against the DR Congo? This must be done, not least, by the peoples of these countries. They must recognize that this is in their own interests, since the enemies and would-be ex- ploiters of the Congolese people precisely are also their own oppressors and exploiters. ________________________________________________________________ "NEWS ON CONGO" postings bring statements by the Congo National Association in Sweden and the DR Congo Committee in Sweden and also reproduce information and analysis from other sources. For French-readers we recommend the sites Agence Congolaise de Presse, ACP: (temporarily closed from 16.08.98 on - but now, 12.09 etc, open again), Congonline (Belgium-based, brings info from various sources): , and also the sites and . A new and important site: Solidarité avec le noveau Congo, at . Contact addresses: Congo National Association Box 5343 SE - 102 45 Stockholm Sweden Tel: +46 - 8 - 471 96 26 (chairman) +46 - 8 - 84 57 18 (facility) Fax: +46 - 8 - 751 26 06 DR Congo Committee (Chairman: Bony Ndjov-a-Shamalo) Box 17513 SE - 200 10 Malmoe Sweden Tel: +46 - 40 - 12 48 32 E-mail: congocomse@hotmail.com