From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:ZAIRE: West's warning to Mobutu shows signs of growing intolerance
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 03:12:03 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: ZAIRE: West's warning to Mobutu shows signs of growing intolerance


an inter press service feature

by shada islam

brussels, dec 9 (ips) -- western nations once closely linked to
zairean president mobutu sese seko, are now fully behind his
archrival -- prime minister etionne tshisekedi -- as he struggles
to bring democracy to the crisis-ridden central african country.

brussels, paris and washington have all previously signalled
their political support for tshisekedi, but last week's strongly
worded statement warning mobutu not to interfere with the
democratic reform process, represents a shift in diplomatic
policy.

previously belgium, france, the united states and the european
community (ec) have been careful not to offend president mobutu
who still controls the army and certain key sectors of the zairean
economy.

but in a burst of anger at mobutu's latest attempts to sabotage
zaire's painfully slow progress towards democracy, belgian foreign
minister willy claes warned last week that his country may have to
intervene to prevent further disorder in somalia.

the foreign office has since toned down claes' comments, saying
no immediate plan for military action in the former belgian colony
is under consideration. zaire gained its independence in 1960.

anti-mobutu zairean exiles based in belgium say they are
heartened by the stronger western stance. ''mobutu is a product of
the west,'' charges justine kasa vubu of tshisekedi's union of
democracy and social progress (udps). ''the only way to get rid of
mobutu is to intimidate him.''

european development commissioner manuel marin has stressed the
ec's ''serious concern'' at the president's action to ''paralyse''
tshisekedi's government. western governments were especially
angered by mobutu's demands on dec 2 that the prime minister
should expand the government to include his own supporters.

and when tshisekedi refused to take in all the president's men,
saying that only zaire's one-year-old national democracy
conference had the power to dismiss him, pro-mobutu soldiers
sealed off the prime minister's office.

tshisekedi, who was elected to office by the conference last
summer, walked through the barricades, but officials in belgium,
france and the united states, quickly denounced mobutu's actions
as undemocratic and dangerous.(more/ips)

zaire: west's warning to mobutu shows signs of growing intoleranc(2-e)

zaire: west's (2)

in a joint statement issued in brussels, paris and washington
after the incident, they reaffirmed their support for the
''ongoing transition toward democracy and for the government of
tshisekedi''.

unusually, the three countries urged tshisekedi to ''seize full
control'' of the central bank, major public enterprises and
economic sectors which are still in mobutu's hands.

western nations want tshisekedi to thrash out a quick economic
reform programme with the international monetary fund (imf). once
this is done, they say aid from other sources could also resume.

but, the prime minister is still struggling to put zaire's
troubled economic house in order. he has been unable to stop the
introduction of a five million zaire bank note by the pro-mobutu
central bank. belgian and ec officials say the new note could hike
up zaire's already high inflation rates.

still, veteran zaire watchers claim its the low key tshisekedi
rather than mobutu who is winning the power struggle which
continues to disrupt economic and political life in the country.

the prime minister is being aided in his task by the
indefatigable archbishop mensengwo who chaired the 3,000-strong
national democracy conference, and has now been asked to head the
newly set up high council of the republic (hcr).

the hcr is expected to function as zaire's highest political
authority with both the president and the prime minister
subservient to it.

up to now, tskisekedi and monsengwo appear to be succeeding in
keeping zaire's process of democratic change relatively
peaceful.   there are fears, however, that mobutu could still
trigger a bloody conflict.

one of hcr's most controversial tasks will be to study voluminous
reports of the president's allegedly illegally acquired fortune.

president mobutu, who also bears the official titles of ''great
helmsman, ''father of the nation'' and ''supreme guide'', has
accumulated in his 27 years of power, millions of dollars worth of
private properties, which according to u.s. magazine 'fortune',
make him among the five richest heads of state in the world.

western officials fear that if mobutu refuses to recognise
tshisekedi's growing power and the popular thirst for democracy,
zaire could still burst into flames.

at the same time, tshisekedi has been unable to control a
dangerous rebellion in the mineral-rich shaba province, home to
nguza karl i bond, another former zairean prime minister. karl i
bond has sworn never to let shaba come under tshisekedi's sway.
(end/ips/ip/si/cpg/92)