Confusion Surrounds

Reported Congo

Cease-fire

PARIS (Reuters) - French President

Jacques Chirac said Saturday the warring

parties had agreed to a cease-fire in the

four-month-old war in the Democratic

Republic of the Congo (DRC), but some of

the key players immediately denied it.

There was confusion as to whether a

cease-fire was formally agreed, and when it

would come into force, after talks between

the parties in the conflict and United Nations

Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Chirac told a news conference at the end of

a two-day Franco-African summit of 50

countries that Annan ``achieved...an

agreement on the implementation of a

cease-fire.''

``There is already a document. The final

signing should be completed rapidly, before

the Ouagadougou meeting of the

Organization of African Unity on December

16-17,'' he said.

But DRC President Laurent Kabila told

reporters: ``What accord? I have not signed

any accord.''

Asked about a signing in mid-December, he

said ``It's possible, but we have to prepare

an accord.''

``We will find a solution, we will do

everything possible....We want peace,'' he

added.

An official source at the summit had said

earlier the cease-fire would take effect

immediately.

Rwandan President Pasteur Bizimungu,

who backs rebels trying to overthrow Kabila,

also denied a cease-fire had been agreed,

telling reporters it would be discussed at the

Ouagadougou meeting.

``I do not think we have advanced...It was

not useless, it's better than a break-up,'' he

said.

Chirac said Annan had also achieved ``an

agreement on a commitment to end this

absurd and so painful war.''

After frantic efforts to arrange peace talks,

Annan Saturday morning gathered Kabila

and his backer President Robert Mugabe of

Zimbabwe with Bizimungu and Yoweri

Museveni of Uganda who support the rebels

trying to topple Kabila.

The DRC rebels have not been invited to

the summit, and Bizimungu said this was

the sole remaining obstacle to an end to

hostilities.

The rebellion against Kabila has sucked in

more than half a dozen countries and

caused concern that it could expand into a

major regional war.

Annan and Burkina Faso President Blaise

Compaore, chairman of the Organization of

African Unity (OAU), worked feverishly

behind the scenes to arrange peace talks.

Annan had met Kabila, Museveni and

Bizimungu separately Friday night to try to

arrange joint talks.

Chirac, the summit host, was scheduled to

meet Museveni, Kabila and Mugabe

separately later in the day.

Reut09:10 EST 11-28-98