Return-path: [log in to unmask] From: [log in to unmask] Full-name: AOL News Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]> Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1999 05:57:41 EDT Subject: African Leaders Ban Gov't by Force MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Unknown (No Version) To: undisclosed-recipients:; African Leaders Ban Gov't by Force .c The Associated Press By HRVOJE HRANJSKI ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) - African leaders will ban governments that took power by force from attending future gatherings until they accept democratic reforms, South Africa's president said Wednesday. President Thabo Mbeki, speaking at the last day of an Organization of African Unity summit, mentioned Niger, Guinea-Bissau and the Comoros, whose leaders had staged coup in the last year. ``We have decided last night that the governments coming to power by military force will not be allowed into the next summit,'' Mbeki said. ``In the meantime, we will be working with them to return them to democratic society.'' He said a special OAU summit will convene in Libya Sept. 6-9, to look at how to deal with renegade governments, as well as address the restructuring of the 53-member organization to make it more efficient in preventing future conflicts. They also want to be able to deploy an African force quickly to help resolve conflicts. It wasn't immediately clear what criteria would be used to determine which leaders would be banned or how far they must go toward restoring civilian rule. Most countries in Africa have military-backed leaders, but Mbeki said those questions would be discussed in Libya. Zambian President Frederick Chiluba wanted the three African coup leaders banned immediately from any future forums and gatherings on the continent, but Mbeki insisted on working with them first to make sure they restore civilian governments or take steps toward it, diplomats said. Mbeki also expressed hope for a partial peace agreement for Congo - yet to be signed by the Congolese rebels fighting to oust President Laurent Kabila - despite the continuing fighting on the ground. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan met with Kabila and his allies from Zimbabwe and Namibia Tuesday to discuss the role and size of a possible peacekeeping mission to Congo, Africa's third-largest nation. Although the six nations involved in the 11-month Congo war signed a peace agreement last week, rebels who rose up against Kabila a year ago refused to sign because of internal squabbles. Rwanda and Uganda back the Congolese rebels because they say Kabila, whom they put in power in May 1997, failed to get rid of rebels who attack them from bases in eastern Congo. Kabila and his allies were reportedly pressing Annan to push for a speedy U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing the deployment of a big U.N.-backed peacekeeping contingent. Annan's spokesman, Fred Eckhard, said the secretary-general was reluctant to recommend a peacekeeping mission before the rebels signed on to the agreement. Attempts were also underway to end the 14-month border war between Ethiopia and Eritrea before participants in the 35th summit of the Organization of African Unity adopt final resolutions today. Outgoing OAU chairman and Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore reportedly met with both leaders Monday night in an effort to get them to implement an 11-point OAU framework agreement that requires Eritrea to withdraw its forces from the Badme area they occupied in May 1998. AP-NY-07-14-99 0557EDT Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press. To edit your profile, go to keyword <A HREF="aol://1722:NewsProfiles">NewsProfiles </A>. For all of today's news, go to keyword <A HREF="aol://1722:News">News</A>.