U.S. Sends Envoy to Join Summit on Zaire Crisis
The United States, throwing its weight behind Zaire peace efforts, sent Assistant Secretary for African Affairs George Moose to join African leaders at a one-day summit on Zaire.
The African leaders repeated a call for an immediate cease-fire to allow negotiations to end the war in Africa’s third-largest country. The rebels, who were not invited, said the meeting would solve nothing.
For the first time, a Zairian government representative, Leon Kengo wa Dondo, joined the talks, a day after a disputed vote in the Zairian transitional Parliament to oust him as prime minister.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns said the U.S. still recognizes Kengo as prime minister because it is unclear whether Tuesday’s vote was constitutional.
The Pentagon said it will set up plans in case the 650 Americans in Zaire must be evacuated.
Rebel leader Laurent Kabila has vowed to fight until President Mobutu Sese Seko steps down.
Mobutu, meanwhile, left the Monaco hospital where he was treated for prostate cancer. Officials said he will return to Zaire by Saturday.
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