ZAIRE: PRESIDENT MOBUTU & REBEL LEADER KABILA AGREE TO HOLD TALKS

(29 Apr 1997) English/Nat

Zairian President Mobutu Sese Seko and rebel leader Laurent Kabila agreed on Tuesday to hold their first direct talks.

In Kinshasa, the U-S Ambassador to the United Nations held talks with Mobutu, who he said was willing to begin talks immediately.

Later he met with Kabila, who has also agreed to a face-to-face meeting.

He said it would take place somewhere off the coast of Zaire, and reports say South Africa will provide a ship.

In Zaire's capital Kinshasa on Tuesday scores of young people demonstrated outside the American Embassy.

They want an end to the country's civil war, and democratic elections.

Whether he quits or is forced to flee, it is widely accepted that President Mobutu Sese Seko's 32-year dictatorship is coming to an end.

The 66-year-old president met U-S envoy Bill Richardson on Tuesday at his hilltop palace in Kinshasa.

Officially, Richardson's mission is to try and persuade Mobutu and rebel leader Laurent Kabila to reach a settlement, which would lead to free and fair elections.

But there were reports Tuesday that Richardson's real aim was to persuade Mobutu to step down.

But Richardson would not confirm the reports, and spoke only of peace talks.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"President Mobutu has assured me today that he is prepared to meet with Mr. Kabila under U-N and O-A-U auspices immediately.
SUPER CAPTION: Bill Richardson, U-S Ambassador to U-N

Richardson said Mobutu was prepared to meet Kabila on Friday, but no date has been fixed.

Later, Richardson travelled south to the rebel-held town of Lubumbashi.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I spoke to President Mobutu and I'll be speaking to President Kabila. Our objective is face-to-face peace talks, cease-fire, elections and peace and humanitarian relief for thousands of Zairians.
SUPER CAPTION: Bill Richardson, U-S Ambassador to the U-N

The rebels have made it clear Mobutu's ouster from power is not negotiable.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We are going to direct, first and the only meeting between President Kabila and Mobutu. It will probably happen very soon and it will be somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.
SUPER CAPTION: Bizima Karaha, rebel foreign affairs minister

Karaha said the meeting would only take hours and rebel forces would continue to march towards Kinshasa.

The South African government has reportedly offered the use of one of its naval vessels - the S-A-S Outeniqua.

The ship could be stationed in international waters off Angola, with President Nelson Mandela presiding over the meeting.

The Outeniqua would be considered South African territory, and the offer is considered to be a good compromise.

It would satisfy Kabila's desire for the talks to take place in South Africa, and Mobutu's demand that he stay relatively close to home because of health problems.

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