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U.N. tests evacuation plan in Zaire
Mobutu remains as head, but half of country in rebel hands
April 11, 1997
Web posted at: 3:15 p.m. EDT (1915 GMT)KISANGANI, Zaire (CNN) -- Mothers and their babies were among 200 homeward-bound Zairians who got onto a U.N. flight in Kisangani Friday, as the United Nations held a test run for an airlift of tens of thousands of Rwandan refugees.
The United Nations flew the displaced Zairians to Goma from Kisangani, where at least 40,000 Zairians have ended up while fleeing advancing rebels. Thousands of other refugees are camped among Rwandans along the Zaire River south of Kisangani.
The evacuation was a test run for an proposed airlift of tens of thousands of Rwandan Hutu refugees, who have been in Zaire since 1994 after extremists among them slaughtered at least 500,000 minority Tutsis.
Mobutu urged to resign
Meanwhile, on Friday the governor of mineral-rich Shaba province urged President Mobutu Sese Seko to quit. Kyungu wa Kumwanza called the war Mobutu is fighting "futile," and said it would be better for the ailing leader to retire. Mobutu had prostate cancer surgery in Europe in August.
Rebel leader Laurent Kabila gave Mobutu an ultimatum Thursday: If he doesn't quit in the next three days, Kabila says, rebel forces would renew fighting on all fronts, including the capital, Kinshasa.
Kabila said the pause in the rebel advance was to give Mobutu time to consider the ultimatum.
Rebels take cities with minimal damage
The Shaba governor, whose region is controlled by Kabila's forces, also said it was already safe for international investors to return to the region.
Zairian rebels entered Kisangani on foot earlier this week, capturing the city with only the light equipment soldiers can carry. Zaire's roads are so bad that it is impossible to drive; foot soldiers have taken most of the major cities held by rebels. Kabila's forces now hold half of Zaire, and most of the major cities.
As rebels took control of Kisangani, the city got its first taste of Kabila's new order. Soldiers released prisoners, including Tutsis and Hutus whom the government had held. And to stop people from looting, they fired shots in the air. Hospitals reported only three dead soldiers and a handful of wounded in the fight for the city.
In Lubumbashi as well, life was rapidly returning to normal. Rebel forces still streaming in to the city were welcomed with white flags fluttering from lamp posts and houses. The first shops reopened, and crowds milled around in the streets.
About the only concern of the interim authorities seemed to be crowd control in the event that Kabila, seen as a savior and liberator, arrives over the weekend. The city is home to more than 1 million people.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Zaire's Mobutu confers with new prime minister - April 10, 1997
- Mobutu fires Zairian prime minister - April 9, 1997
- Malnutrition takes deadly toll on Zaire refugees - April 9, 1997
- U.N. report: Zairian rebels massacred refugees - April 8, 1997
- Zaire soldiers use tear gas, batons to end march - April 7, 1997
- The roots of Zaire's unrest - April 2, 1997
Related sites:
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- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
- Crisis in Central Africa
- Official web site of Zaire
- Zaire Watch
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