DR Congo’s rebel leader Nkunda rejects ultimatum

KINSHASA – A renegade Congolese general has said he will ignore an October 15 government deadline to disband his forces and reintegrate them into the national army, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) said yesterday.

General Laurent Nkunda was quoted by the BBC as saying he needed more talks with President Joseph Kabila’s government to end weeks of on-off fighting in Democratic Republic of Congo’s eastern North Kivu province. Kabila has warned Nkunda, who has led a rebellion in the east since 2004, that unless his fighters rejoin the army they will be forcibly disbanded.The government had set today as the deadline for the reintegration to get underway.The BBC quoted Nkunda as saying he would be prepared to leave the country if certain conditions were met.Nkunda’s Tutsi soldiers, who say they are defending the interests of Congolese Tutsis in ethnically-mixed North Kivu, have been battling government forces since August when they walked out of a short-lived peace deal agreed in January.Nkunda told the BBC he wanted discussions on the safe return of Congolese Tutsi refugees from neighbouring countries such as Rwanda and Burundi.He accuses Kabila’s government and armed forces of supporting Rwandan Hutu rebels – ethnic enemies of the Tutsi.Kabila denies supporting the Rwandan rebels, who are accused of involvement in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide that saw the slaughter of 800 000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.In clashes last week that followed the collapse of a United Nations-brokered ceasefire, artillery and machinegun fire forced hundreds of North Kivu families from their homes.This worsened the already dire humanitarian situation in the province where some 370 000 have fled fighting so far this year.Nampa-ReutersKabila has warned Nkunda, who has led a rebellion in the east since 2004, that unless his fighters rejoin the army they will be forcibly disbanded.The government had set today as the deadline for the reintegration to get underway.The BBC quoted Nkunda as saying he would be prepared to leave the country if certain conditions were met.Nkunda’s Tutsi soldiers, who say they are defending the interests of Congolese Tutsis in ethnically-mixed North Kivu, have been battling government forces since August when they walked out of a short-lived peace deal agreed in January.Nkunda told the BBC he wanted discussions on the safe return of Congolese Tutsi refugees from neighbouring countries such as Rwanda and Burundi.He accuses Kabila’s government and armed forces of supporting Rwandan Hutu rebels – ethnic enemies of the Tutsi.Kabila denies supporting the Rwandan rebels, who are accused of involvement in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide that saw the slaughter of 800 000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.In clashes last week that followed the collapse of a United Nations-brokered ceasefire, artillery and machinegun fire forced hundreds of North Kivu families from their homes.This worsened the already dire humanitarian situation in the province where some 370 000 have fled fighting so far this year.Nampa-Reuters