Mandela, Museveni defend Kabila<\/p>\n
CAPE TOWN (AFP): President Nelson Mandela and his visiting
\nUgandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni, came to the defense of
\nLaurent Kabila's new regime in the former Zaire yesterday,
\ndespite a ban there on all political parties.<\/p>\n
Addressing journalists at the outset of Museveni's state visit
\nto South Africa, Mandela said Kabila had shown a \"commitment to
\ndemocracy\" in his new Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly
\nZaire, and had been unfairly \"demonised\" by western governments.<\/p>\n
\"You must judge what Kabila is doing with what is happening in
\nhis country. He has no less than 250 parties, and there is a
\ngreat deal of disorganization in the country,\" Mandela said.<\/p>\n
\"It would be suicidal for him to allow parties before he has a
\nfirm grip on the government,\" he added.<\/p>\n
In a five-point crackdown, Kabila's government reiterated
\nMonday that all political parties and public demonstrations would
\nbe suspended \"until further notice.\"<\/p>\n
Mandela praised Kabila for setting up a transitional
\nauthority, and promising a constitutional assembly in 60 days,
\nadding the former rebel leader had \"the only disciplined army\" in
\nthe country, despite recent complaints of abuses by Kabila's
\nforces in the capital Kinshasa.<\/p>\n
The South African statesman would not comment, however, about
\nKabila's exclusion from his government of opposition party leader
\nEtienne Tshisekedi.<\/p>\n
Tshisekedi leads the main opposition Union for Democracy and
\nSocial Progress, which has launched fresh protests against
\nKabila's one-week old Alliance of Forces for the Democratic
\nLiberation of Congo\/Zaire regime.<\/p>\n
Museveni, who was earlier received in an hour-long meeting
\nwith Mandela followed by a review of South African troops, told
\nreporters he, too, understood Kabila's party ban.<\/p>\n
Museveni arrived Monday night on his four-day visit, due to
\nfocus on inter-regional economic cooperation.<\/p>\n
\"I don't believe in democracy through parties, but in
\ndemocracy based on individuals,\" Museveni said, adding that he
\nhad suspended parties in his own country, Uganda, because it was
\na \"rural society.\"<\/p>\n
\"In Uganda, 92 percent of the people live in rural areas ...
\nbecause of that, political parties represent each tribe and each
\nreligion,\" Museveni said.<\/p>\n
He added that if and when Uganda became an industrialized
\nnation, the ban could be reviewed.<\/p>\n
Praising the Ugandan president, Mandela said Museveni had
\n\"insured that every political movement was represented\" when he
\nformed his government in the 1980s.<\/p>\n
Referring to the ongoing conflict in Sudan, which borders
\nUganda, Mandela said various international groups had asked him
\nto participate in peace negotiations there.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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