From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: ZAIRE: Harder U.S. line on Mobutu reflects growing concerns
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 03:51:03 GMT

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: Harder U.S. line on Mobutu reflects growing concerns


washington, oct 8 (ips/jim lobe) -- the call this week by the u.s.
administration for zairian president mobutu sese seko to ''turn
over all functions of government'' to a transitional authority
headed by the opposition reflects increasing concern here with the
drift of events in the huge central african nation.

u.s. officials are particularly concerned about signs that
mobutu may be backing ethnic conflict and secessionist sentiments
in mineral-rich shaba province in the south.

in addition, last weekend's deployment of soldiers around the
country's central bank is viewed with ''concern'' by officials
here who say it may indicate that mobutu, who has become one of
the world's wealthiest men since rising to the presidency in 1965,
intends to resist efforts by the snc and the government it
appointed in august to gain control over key economic resources.

''as long as he continues to treat the national treasury as his
private purse, zaire doesn't have a chance of getting
international assistance to recover,'' one senior official told
ips thursday.

''the transitional government must, must, must establish clear
control over all economic decision-making, including all
appointments of officials who will have access to the economic
resources of the country,'' said another official.

''there is no hope of getting aid from the world bank, the
international monetary fund, or from us if there is any way he can
get his hands on the cash box,'' he added.

in remarks to ips thursday, assistant secretary of state herman
cohen insisted that washington's statement this week was not a new
position by washington which has been urging mobutu to recognise
the legitimacy of the sovereign national council (snc) since last
april.

''we still refuse to accept the argument that mobutu should
resign as president,'' he added.

but he admitted that wednesday's call for washington's long-
time cold war ally ''to turn over all functions of government'' to
a transitional authority headed by arch-rival prime minister
etienne tshisekedi may not have previously have been worded so
bluntly.

he said washington is ''very worried'' about recent violence in
shaba where the state department said scores have been killed and
more than 40,000 people have been displaced from their homes.
(more/ips)

zaire: harder u.s. line on mobutu reflects growing concerns(2-e)

zaire: harder u.s. (2)

shaba, which since before zaire's independence from belgium in
1960 has been a hotbed of secessionist agitation, contains most of
the country's vast mineral wealth.

cohen said mobutu's former prime minister, nguz' karl-i-bond,
bore ''great responsibility'' for mounting ethnic tensions in the
province.

another senior official, who asked not to be identified, said
nguz' had been whipping up local passions against the luba-kasai
people who migrated from the north to shaba (then called katanga)
during the colonial period when they worked the mines.

in addition, nguz', who was appointed minister of state without
portfolio by mobutu after giving up the prime minister's job to
the snc-elected tsishekedi in august, was also fuelling
secessionist sentiment with the help of shaba's mobutu-appointed
governor.

''this is very dangerous stuff,'' said the official.  ''if you
read what happened in the 1960s, you can see that some old dogs
are trying to do the same thing.  nguz is raising that spectre.''

tshisekedi has tried, so far unsuccessfully, to replace the
governor, said the official who added that washington has been
''seeking assurances from mobutu that he is not behind this.''
so far, no reply has been received, the official said.

similarly, tshisekedi tried to oust the central bank governor,
memba shabani, last week, after which soldiers were deployed
around the building, apparently to guarantee shabani continued
access to his offices.

it was that action which prompted a call monday by france,
belgium, and the united states for the transitional government to
''quickly establish control over public finances and key
appointments, including of the governor of the national bank.''

the statement, according to one official, was designed to say,
''don't expect the world community to watch idly if the president
makes a grab for these things.''  officials add they don't know
who ordered the deployment which, though ''non-confrontational,''
has continued through the week.

the problem, said one official, ''is that, while everyone
agrees that mobutu can remain as president through the transition,
the exact lines of authority between the snc and tshisekedi and
mobutu have not yet been nailed down and are still being
negotiated.'' in that sense, the standoff over the central bank
was ''symptomatic'' of the more general problem of how authority
will work, he said.

''the good news is that mobutu is just a shell of what he was''
in zaire, the official said, adding that the total collapse of the
economy had weakened his authority. (end/ips/jl/yjc/92)

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