Saturday, November 28, 1998 Published at 12:45 GMT

World: Africa

Congo rivals agree

ceasefire

Kofi Annan (front far right): Urged peace in Africa

African heads of state supporting both sides in the

conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo have

agreed to an immediate cessation of hostilities.

United Nations officials said the leaders of Congo,

Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Uganda had agreed to

sign a ceasefire before the middle of December if

that were possible.

The breakthrough came after UN

Secretary-General Kofi Annan chaired a

head-to-head meeting between the leaders - the

first since the rebellion began in Congo last

August.

The Congolese rebels - whom Uganda and

Rwanda have been supporting - did not take part in

the Paris talks.

The talks came at the end of the

two-day Franco-African summit

which was dominated by

continuing fears that the fighting

which already involves more than

half a dozen countries could turn

into a catastrophic regional war.

Congo's President

Laurent Kabila had earlier

been involved in verbal

clashes with some

leaders during the

50-nation summit.

Zimbabwe's President

Robert Mugabe has

provided military support

to President Kabila's

government.

Rwanda's President

Bizimungu and Uganda's Yoweri Museveni have

backed rebels who seized control of part of

eastern Congo after fighting started in August.

Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore,

currently chairman of the Organisation of African

Unity (OAU), is reported to have joined Mr Annan at

the round-table between the leaders.

France's President and summit host Jacques

Chirac is due to meet Mr Kabila later on Saturday.

Rebels in Paris

Earlier, a delegation representing the rebel forces

in Congo arrived in Paris. They were distanced

from the summit as the key sides in the conflict

traded insults during Friday.

Reports say the atmosphere grew so tense and

the language so abusive that the Egyptian

President Hosni Mubarak intervened, appealing for

calm.

Mr Chirac's spokeswoman Catherine Colonna

said he had urged the Central African states

involved in the conflict to "make a gesture to end

the impasse".

Annan appeal

During Friday's meetings, Mr Annan made an

impassioned plea to fellow Africans to end wars,

saying a minority of irresponsible leaders were

discrediting the entire continent.

"Conflict in Africa is caused by human action and it

can be ended by human action," Mr Annan told the

summit.

"Too many leaders, still convinced that might is

right, are seeking to resolve differences not by the

force of reason but by the power of the gun."

"In this war, we may well face our greatest

challenge.

"In the Congo as everywhere, what is needed is for

all parties irrevocably to choose peace and

compromise, turning their backs on violence and

conflicts," he said.