The Democratic Republic of Congo's(DRC) President Joseph Kabila
has announced the formation of the new government that has been
awaited since Dec. 30, 2006, when Antoine Gizenga was nominated
prime minister.
The new government has 60 members including 38 ministers, 20
deputy ministers and two ministers of state.
According to the list, Mobutu Nzanga has been named minister of
state in charge of agriculture while Denis Kalume will be interior
minister. Mbusa Nyamwisi will be the foreign minister. Chikez
Diemu, former member of parliament, has been named the defense
minister.
Gizenga has made a series of consultations on the composition of
the new government with members of the Alliance for Presidential
Majority (AMP). The formation of the new government has been
postponed several times.
Meanwhile, the UN mission in the DRC, known by its French
acronym as Monuc, said that 134 people died and dozens injured on
Jan. 31 and Feb.1 in clashes between police and local religious
group "Bundu dia Kongo."
Clashes erupted when demonstrators protesting alleged electoral
fraud, led by Bundu dia Kongo, rampaged through several towns and
security forces tried to restore order. Violence spread to at least
five towns in Bas-Congo, including Matadi, Boma, Kasangulu,
Kinzaomvwete and Moanda.
According to a military spokesman of the UN mission, Monuc on
Wednesday asked the Congolese government to seek a peaceful
resolution to the crisis, and sent a group in charge of
humanitarian issues to probe into the clashes in Bas-Congo.
The mission has built a military base in Moanda and deployed 300
peacekeepers in Matadi, the official said.
Last Saturday, DRC's Interior Minister Denis Kalume told media
that violence escalated between the police and members of Bundu dia
Kongo at Matadi last Wednesday, following police's thorough
search.
Founded in 1969, Bunda dia Kongo is a religious movement which
is aimed at contributing to the salvation and restructuring of
Africa. However, the sect has transformed itself into a
political-religious movement in recent years.
The group currently supports former Vice President Jean-Pierre
Bemba, who won a senatorial seat last month.
Bemba's militia clashed with President Joseph Kabila's forces
twice last year, as results were announced in the initial
presidential vote and the runoff in Congo's first free elections
for a head of state.
(Xinhua News Agency February 8, 2007)
