P e r s p e c ti v e

Kabila assasination
18 Jan: Almost 48 hours after the shooting took place, the DRC government confirmed on Thursday afternoon that Lourent Kabila died on an aircraft on his way to Harare. The official communiques said that he had been shot in the Marble Place, which sounds particularly painful. His successors, his son Joseph, was previously C-In-Of the Armed Forces, is regarded by observers as a front man, although it is not absolutely clear for whom he is a front. Could it be the leaders of his own organisation?  If so, that is not uncommon in world politics. If, however, he is a front for powerful Angolan interests, the prospect would be a little less rosy for the region. Angola will not relent on using its neighbours to its advantage in its fight against UNITA rebels. UNITA has the sympathies of DRC rebel movements. Meanwhile, as hinted in this column on Thursday, DRC rebels have already said that it is now time to get the Lusaka Accord moving on the ground. So far so good!.

17 Jan : The undisclosed fate of Lourent Kabila of the DRC appears to be leaving leaders in the region largely unmoved - stone cooled, you might say, if it did not have other connotations. Talking about those, his son Joseph Kabila, is probably the most accurately titled politician in Africa at the moment, having been dubbed Acting President. Whether you take the term acting to be indicative of a temporary or gap-filling position, or in its more thespian scene, you are probably right. Markets simply failed to factor in the assassination attempt, even in the DRC's immediate region. The only person who showed any notable reaction was Robert Mugabe. Once again, suspicions of undercover of deals and arrangements between Kabila and Mugabe will raise their head. His government - owned newspaper could really have put the wind up him when a special edition at midday on Wednesday boldly announced the dead of his allie. The question now is, why all the secrecy?

 

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e c o n o m e t r i x 18-Jan-01