Rwanda to begin pulling troops out of Congo
( 2002-09-17 16:52 ) (7 )

Rwanda said it would begin pulling out its troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday under a peace deal aimed at ending the four-year civil war ravaging its giant neighbour.

Some 500 soldiers were due to arrive in the capital Kigali in army helicopters after leaving the eastern Congolese town of Kindu, 500 kms (310 miles) to the west.

"It is still going on as planned, and hopefully everything should be going smoothly," Joseph Mutaboba, secretary-general in the Rwandan ministry of foreign affairs, told Reuters.

Rwanda agreed to withdraw its forces under a peace deal it signed with the Congolese government in July, aiming to end the war that has killed an estimated two million people in a humanitarian disaster largely unnoticed by the West.

In return, Congolese President Joseph Kabila agreed to help disarm Hutu militia responsible for Rwanda's 1994 genocide who are roaming the vast jungles of eastern Congo, considered by Rwanda as a threat to its security.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame told the United Nations Security Council on Friday that he planned to begin a substantial withdrawal of troops within one week, and sought assurances from Kabila that he would keep his side of the deal.

Analysts differ on their estimates for the number of Rwandan troops in Congo, with some putting the figure above 20,000 or even higher. Rwanda, seen as the most organised and powerful military force in the conflict, controls about a third of the former Zaire.

United Nations experts have accused Rwanda and other belligerents of looting Congo's natural resources during their campaigns, prompting warnings from analysts that it may be difficult to persuade Rwanda to withdraw fully.

Rwanda invaded Congo along with Uganda in 1998, accusing the government of sheltering the perpetators of Rwanda's genocide. Angola, Zimbabwe and Namibia backed the Kinshasa government.

Uganda, which has also been accused of plundering Congo's natural resources, has withdrawn most of its troops. Namibia has withdrawn its forces and Zimbabwe has stepped up the rate of departure of its troops.