US embassy cable - 03HARARE679

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Identifier:	03HARARE679
Wikileaks:	View 03HARARE679 at Wikileaks.org
Origin:	Embassy Harare
Created:	2003-04-07 09:53:00
Classification:	UNCLASSIFIED
Tags:	KPAO KMDR ZI
Redacted:	This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.

UNCLAS HARARE 000679 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PDPA FOR DALTON, MITCHELL AND SIMS 
IRAQ PD FOR SMITH, PINESS AND ROOKARD 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, KMDR, ZI 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION DROC; HARARE 
 
 
  1.   The April 4 and 6 editions of the pro-government 
      daily "The Daily Mirror" and its sister weekly "The 
      Sunday Mirror," respectively, dedicated editorial 
      space to comment on the significance of the DRC peace 
      agreement signed in South Africa last week.  Editorial 
      excerpts follow: 
 
  2.   Under headline "Allow peace to prevail in the 
      DRC" the pro-government daily "The Daily Mirror" 
      (04/04) comments: 
 
       "The historic signing of a peace agreement 
     this week by warring parties in the DRC should 
     usher the country. . .into an era of peace, 
     reconciliation and reconstruction. . .  What 
     makes the peace deal more promising. . .is that 
     the agreement addresses the concerns and needs of 
     all parties to the conflict. . .  Concerted 
     efforts should be made to pressure Rwanda not to 
     disturb the peace in the DRC. . .  Rwanda should 
     learn to respect the sovereignty of other 
     nations. . .  The Congolese people should 
     remember that, their destiny and that of their 
     country, is in their own hands." 
 
  3.   Under headline "DRC adopts new Constitution" the 
      pro-government weekly "The Sunday Mirror" (04/06) 
      comments: 
 
      "President Joseph Kabila has ratified a 
      transitional constitution that is part of a 
      power-sharing agreement with rebels intended to 
      end four and half years of civil war.  By 
      giving his presidential assent to the 
      constitution, Kabila has committed himself to a 
      transitional government expected to bring 
      insurgent leaders from their far-flung 
      strongholds to Congo's capital, Kinshasa.  The 
      ratification has extinguished simmering doubts 
      over the prospects of a genuine peaceful 
      settlement to the Congo crisis that had been 
      fueled by Kabila's absence from the signing 
      ceremony of the peace deal in Sun City, South 
      Africa, on Wednesday last week. . ." 
 
SULLIVAN