|
|
|
|
TITLE: Inquiry Into Kabila Killing Extended to Murders of Lebanese |
AUTHOR: |
PUB: AFP |
DATE: March 8, 2001 |
|
The probe into the assassination of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) president Laurent Kabila has been extended to include the murders of several Lebanese nationals abducted by armed men after the killing, officials said Thursday. Justice Minister Mwenze Kongolo on Wednesday announced that Kabila's fatal shooting on January 16 had unleashed a "violent reaction" in the capital and had led to the death of "many people, including several Lebanese citizens". The minister gave no further details, but a local human rights group said 11 Lebanese nationals in Kinshasa disappeared after the shooting of Kabila, "abducted" from their homes a few hours after the assassination. "Eleven foreign nationals cannot just disappear in the blink of an eye, like an ordinary letter in the post," the newspaper Le Phare, close to the unarmed opposition, said on Thursday. Other reports said the Lebanese nationals had been arrested by angry Congolese soldiers and that some had been killed in detention after being accused of involvement in the assassination. Kabila was shot by a bodyguard at his presidential palace. Officials said the head of state died of his wounds on January 18 in a hospital in Harare, where he had been flown for treatment. While Kongolo did not specify how many Lebanese nationals' murders would fall within the scope of the probe or give the circumstances, he said the work of the commission would be extended. The commission of inquiry was set up by Kabila's 29-year-old son, Joseph Kabila, who was sworn in as president on January 26. The work of the commission, originally appointed for 30 days, has been extended by a month to allow "better finalisation of the inquiry," the justice minister said on Wednesday. Kongola added that once the investigation is completed, "the government is committed to the pursuit of justice and subjecting culprits to the full rigour of the law, without exception." In an interview with the Belgian daily newspaper Le Soir published on Wednesday, Joseph Kabila said he wanted "the full truth" uncovered, even if it meant summonsing ministers before the commission. The commission of inquiry has already ordered the arrest of several top DRC security officers, including Leta Mangasa, administrator general of the National Intelligence Agency, and General Yav Nawej, commander of the Kinshasa garrison, according to press reports. Colonel Eddy Kapend, a former key aide to the assassinated president, is currently under house arrest pending further investigation by the commission, which includes representatives of Angola, Zimbabwe and Namibia, all allies with the Kinshasa regime in its war against rebels backed by Rwanda and Uganda. According to a number of sources, those under arrest are being guarded by Zimbabwean soldiers. The Lebanese community, many of whom operate import and export businesses in Kinshasa, has strong roots in the DRC, which has been wracked by more than two and a half years of war. Lebanon on Wednesday said it was sending a high-ranking official to Kinshasa to inquire into the circumstances of the disappearances. END |