2000 An inteview with LD Kabila (Newsweek)

The
fighting in the democratic Republic of the Congo has been called
"Africa's First World War." At the center of the conflict is DRC
President Laurent Kabila, 60. Kabila's rebel army chased dictator
Mobutu Sese Seko from power in 1997, and the demise of Mobutu's
rapacious regime was widely celebrated. But then war broke out between
Kabila and his erstwhile allies in Uganda and Rwanda. Atrocities
mounted, and other African states were drawn into the conflict. The war
now threatens to spread further, despite a ceasefire agreement reached
last summer. Kabila was in New York last week to join Security Council
deliberations on ending the war, including proposals to send U.N.
peacekeepers. He spoke to NEWSWEEK's Jeffrey Bartholet. Excerpts:

BARTHOLET:
Not long ago some journalists and American officials were talking about
a "new breed" of African leader, including yourself, President Yoweri
Museveni of Uganda and Paul Kagame in Rwanda, who were supposed to be
more committed to the betterment of their countries than the older
generation. Now you are at war with one another. What happened?

KABILA:
President Museveni and Kagame… are the ones who invaded my country.
They say we are harboring Interahamwe [militias that carried out the
genocide in Rwanda in 1994], without giving evidence. And they said the
Interahamwe were using our territory to punish them with raids. There
is no evidence again. The minerals of Congo are believed to be the real
reason for the war. Even now, Rwanda is selling [Congolese] diamonds.

You
and President Museveni know each other well. Some even say that
President Museveni chose you to lead the rebellion against Mobutu.

How
this became complicated is this: just after the liberation, [Museveni
and Kagame] wanted someone in power as a puppet, as a clerk. The real
master would be Museveni, and the second master the Rwandese. But they
couldn't find such a man in me.

Can you make peace with them?

Yes.
Yes. If they retreat from my country and they stop killing people every
day, we have no reason not to talk with Museveni and Kagame. They are
people I loved, but they don't love me; they don't love my country.

Is the country effectively partitioned?

This
is not effective partition. The war should continue to liberate the
entire country. No Congolese can accept to be under the rule of the
Rwandese, no.

So the war should continue?

Continue if they won't withdraw.

You
say you are happy to cooperate with the United Nations in peacemaking
efforts. But in the past, U.N. officials have accused you of
obstructing their efforts in the investigation of atrocities and, more
recently, with the military liaison group preparing for ceasefire
monitors. Why will it be different this time?

They
were accusing me of being the butcher of the Interahamwe; I didn't ever
kill any of those people. I never gave the order to kill Interahamwe.
They were out of my country. But at any given time, I don't remember
myself being in difficulties with the U.N. I can only say we must be
consulted. We are the government of the country.

Can 5,000 U.N. peacekeepers make a difference?

If
they are based on the front lines, they will make a difference–to stop
the violations of the ceasefire. But if they come just to put
themselves in the rear of the government forces, it will create
problems.

You met with U.S. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke today. What did he say to you and what was your response?

[Kabila laughs and looks at his aides.] We have been exchanging views in the aftermath of these U.N. Security Council meetings.

You have a difference of views, obviously.

Absolutely. We had a different appreciation of the situation.

If agreement is reached to send peacekeepers, how dangerous will their mission be?

There
is no danger from the side of the government… Their mission is just
to make the fighting stop. They need our security guarantee and we give
the guarantee. I hope the others will do the same. And the process of
disarming the nongovernment forces will start–and those Interahamwe,
if they are there [will be disarmed, too].

Is there ever going to be a democratic election?

We are thinking in terms of a democratic election. But those politicians and rebels don't like democratic elections.

Is political-opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi welcome to come back to Kinshasa?

He
may come back if he wishes. But we'll have to protect him, because the
population in Kinshasa does not like him anymore. He has created
hatred. But he's free to make any declaration he wants. This is a
democratic society.