Rebels Merge

New Vision (Kampala), 17 January 2001

Kampala—Three Congolese rebel leaders yesterday signed a pact to merge into a new group, the Congolese Liberation Front (CLF).

Emmy Allio reports that a founding president of the Congolese Rally for Democracy, Prof. Ernest Wamba dia Wamba, refused to sign it, blaming Ugandan authorities for hurrying the exercise and disregarding issues that may crop up in future. A merger must be a process not hurried, he said.

MLC leader Jean Pierre Bemba becomes the CLF president. His deputy is to be Wamba in a leadership to rotate annually.

Other signatories were Wamba deputies Mbusa Nyamwisi and Tibasima Atenyi as coordinator and prime minister and energy and mines minister respectively.

MLC secretary-general Oliver Kamitatu is to be the secretary general. His deputy will come from Wamba's group.

Roger Lumbala, leader of the little known RCD-Nationale, also signed and becomes the minister for mobilisation.

National Political Commissar James Wapakhabulo, who presided over the talks at the International Conference, said the Congolese groups had merged. He said, Wamba said he is still consulting. He is free to sign later on. But there is a provision in the document which says that if two of his deputies sign, then the merger becomes effective and CLF has now come into effect.

Contacted later, Wamba said, Mbusa and Tibasima were sacked after three coups against me and other members of my executive. ‘There is no way Mbusa and Tibasima can represent RCD-Kisangani.’

Bemba said, Wamba should join us.