(28 Jan 2000) Eng/French/Nat
Former South African president Nelson Mandela has held talks with Congolese opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi.
After the talks, Mandela reaffirmed his support for the United Nations' decision to send a mission to the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to facilitate the enforcement of the Lusaka ceasefire agreement.
Nelson Mandela on Friday met Congolese opposition politician Etienne Tshisekedi at his Houghton offices in Johannesburg.
Tshisekedi used to be prime minister in the government of the late Zairean ruler Mobutu Sese Seko.
He is in South Africa for medical treatment and is expected to undergo an eye operation soon.
But he travelled to Johannesburg to pay a courtesy call on Mandela - who is mediating in the Congo crisis - and brief him on the situation in his embattled country.
After the talks, Mandela urged all parties in the Democratic Republic of Congo to increase their peace efforts.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
\"I do not want to interfere in domestic affairs of any country, except to say: We are prepared to speak to anybody, either President Kabila, the unarmed opposition and the rebels. And that is what I did when President Kabila was a rebel himself. I spoke to him and I brought him into contact with former President Mobutu - the late president. And there is no reason why our foreign minister will not speak to the rebels or to any other politician.\"
SUPER CAPTION: Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa
Thsisekedi promised to heed Mandela's advise to keep unity among Congolese politicians.
Speaking through a translator, he said he had asked the U-N to continue pressurising the warring parties to \"respect the schedule of the peace accord\".
SOUNDBITE: (French) ***NOTE: TRANSLATION ACCORDING TO TRANSLATOR***
\"We are happy of this initiative because at some point we thought the United Nations have forgotten the Congo. We are taking this opportunity to thank the authorities of the United Nations. We are asking them to carry on pressurising so that they can respect the schedule of the peace accord until such a time that we reach the inter-Congolese dialogue.\"
SUPER CAPTION: Etienne Tshisekedi - DRCongo opposition leader
Rebels launched an insurrection in the eastern part of the vast Central African country in August 1998 to oust President Kabila from power.
They signed the ceasefire accord with Kabila and his allies - Zimbabwe, Angola and Namibia - in July, but fighting has continued, with both sides accusing each other of violations.
The Lusaka agreement calls for a ceasefire, deployment of U-N peacekeepers and the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Congo.
The Security Council on Wednesday vowed to authorise deployment of the military observers quickly and to consider sending in a full-fledged peacekeeping force in the future.
Mandela urged the U-N to deploy the force as soon as possible.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
\"One of the most critical is the United Nations because they are there to promote peace and it is the duty of the United Nations to go to the Congo and to select whatever countries are prepared to help the United Nations to bring about peace to that country.\"
SUPER CAPTION: Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa
Tshisekedi, who heads the Union for Democracy and Social Progress, also held talks with President Thabo Mbeki, Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and New National Party leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk.
On Friday afternoon, he was due to meet Democratic Party leader Tony Leon.
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