From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:ZAIRE: Bush renews pressure on Mobutu to transfer power
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 03:09:04 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'.

Reference: North America
Title: ZAIRE: Bush renews pressure on Mobutu to transfer power


washington, dec 8 (ips) -- u.s. president george bush has sent a
new letter to zairean president mobutu sese seko calling on the
long-time u.s. ally to fulfill its vows to transfer ''all day-to-
day powers to the transitional government'' headed by prime
minister etienne tshisekedi, the state department said tuesday.

the announcement was the second in a week by the department
which tuesday expressed increasing concern about the continuing
deadlock between tshisekedi and mobutu, zaire's ruler since 1965.

last week, the united states, french, and belgian governments
published statements affirming support for tshisekedi, who was
elected by an opposition-dominated national conference last
summer, and called for his government to take control of all
public finances.

last wednesday, troops from mobutu's presidential guard
reportedly surrounded several government ministries and cut radio
and television broadcasts of the national conference which ended
its proceedings friday.

u.s. officials told ips tuesday that troops are continuing to
prevent access by some tshisekedi ministers to their offices.

of special concern to washington is that both mobutu and his
central bank chief continue to press banks elsewhere in the
country to accept large denomination bank notes which were printed
and distributed last month.

these notes, however, have been declared illegal by the
tshisekedi government which has been trying to work with the world
bank and the international monetary fund (imf) to devise an
economic stabilisation plan that will permit the u.s. and western
european nations to resume aid to kinshasa.

at the same time, mobutu has demanded that tshisekedi appoint
some of the president's own political supporters to key cabinet
positions, according to u.s. officials who said washington was
encouraging the prime minister to resist.

mobutu, whose reign has been widely criticised for poor human
rights performance and massive corruption, has presided over an
economic freefall which began almost two years ago when unpaid
soldiers sparked off rioting in kinshasa and elsewhere in the
country. (more/ips)

zaire: bush renews pressure on mobutu to transfer power(2-e)

zaire: bush renews (2)

before adjourning, the national conference created a high
council of the republic and elected its own chair, archbishop
monsengwo, as president of the new body.  the council is supposed
to mediate differences between mobutu and tshisekedi until
national elections take place in 1994, a u.s. official told ips.

''president mobutu should transfer day-to-day authority to the
transitional government headed by prime minister tshisekedi so it
can begin its essential work of preparation for elections and the
long and difficult road to economic recovery,'' the state
department said tuesday.

one u.s. official told ips that mobutu had told washington he
was willing to make such a transfer.

''unless he does,'' the official said, ''there is little hope
for economic and political recovery and great risk of further
disorder.''  he described the current situation in kinshasa as
''tense''.

but, despite prodding from senior republican and democratic
lawmakers and some of his own top intelligence and diplomatic
officials, bush has refused to call on mobutu to step down as
president.

his refusal to do so, according to some officials, is based on
a reluctance to completely disown an ''old friend'' who served
washington faithfully during the cold war period, most recently by
permitting zaire's territory to be used by the central
intelligence agency (cia) to supply anti-government rebels in
neighbouring angola.

many scholars have said the cia was itself instrumental in the
rise of mobutu to power in zaire during the early 1960s. bush
served as cia director during the mid-1970s.

but washington is likely to take a much stronger anti-mobutu
line under the new administration of president-elect bill clinton
when it takes power jan. 20. (end/ips/jl/yjc/92)