5th December 2003

Vol 44 N0 24

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CONGO-KINSHASA

Peace or bust

Congolese desperation – not great leaders or Western generosity – is forcing change

Two heavily armed factions within Congo's transitional power-sharing government came to blows on the night of 17 November. Officers of President Joseph Kabila's Agence Nationale de Renseignements (ANR, National Information Agency) arrived at the Grand Hôtel and arrested Colonel Hubert Olangué of the Congo-Brazzaville army. The intelligence men suspected him of 'spying' on behalf of Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba, head of the once-rebel Mouvement de Libération du Congo (MLC) and of association with one of Bemba's allies, the well informed French businessman, bon viveur and sometime advisor to the South African government, Jean-Yves Olivier....

(This article contains approximately 2447 words)

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Keywords:

 Joseph Kabila, Hubert Olangué, Congo-Brazzaville, Jean-Pierre Bemba, French, South African, Jean-Yves Olivier, Denis Sassou-Nguesso, Léon Kengo wa Dondo, Mobutu Sese Seko, Etienne Tshisekedi, wa Malumba, Abdoulaye Yérodia, Laurent-Désiré Kabila, Théophile Mbemba, Pre-election fever, Frédéric Etsou, Jeannot Bemba Saolona, Alexis Thambwe, José Endundo, United States, Aubrey Hooks, Sudan, Burundi, Uganda, Vital Kamerhe, Jean-Pierre Ondekane, Rwanda, Paul Kagame, South Africa, Paul Rwarakabije, Azarias Ruberwa, Eugène Serufuli, Moïse Nyarugabo, Bizima Karaha, Time is on Kabila's side, John Numbi, François Olenga, Arthur N'zidi Ngoma, Zambia, Belgium, Canada, Kpama Baramoto, General Mbuki feeds the troops, Sylvain Mbuki, Roger Lumbala, Bertrand Bujiriri, Padiri Bulenda, Patrick Masunzu, Symphorien Maïbwé, Angola, Zimbabwe, Lost children, Thomas Lubanga, Floribert Njabu, Kabambe, Eric Paluku, William Swing, Olivier Kamitatu, Agence Nationale de Renseignements, Mouvement de Libération du Congo, bon viveur, Armée de Libération du Congo, Union pour la Démocratie et le Progrès Social, L'Avenir, Africa Confidential, Parti Populaire pour la Reconstruction et le Développement, Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie-Goma, en route, Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Rwanda, Mai-Mai, Mission d'Observation des Nations Unies en République Démocratique du Congo, Agence France Presse, Division Spéciale Présidentielle, Comité International d'Appui à la Transition, Garde Civile, Radio Okapi, Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie, Grand Hôtel, Parti National Mai-Mai, gendarmes, Société Nationale d'Electricité, Union des Patriotes Congolais, Front des Nationalistes Intégrationnistes