By Norm Dixon
The anti-Mobutu rebellion in eastern Zaire has spread south into the strategic Shaba province — source of much of Zaire's copper, cobalt, diamond and gold wealth — and west towards the central African country's third largest city, Kisangani. The Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (ADFL) has shrugged off Kinshasa's much-touted "counter-offensive" and routed highly paid mercenaries defending the dictatorship.
ADFL guerillas have captured a string of towns in the north-east and south-east. Rebels are advancing west from their stronghold in the Kivu provinces, along Zaire's eastern borders.
On February 4, rebels captured Kalemie in Shaba, Zaire's mineral-rich southern province.
Kalemie is a key port city on Lake Tanganyika. Rebels defeated mercenaries defending the nearby airport town. Control of Kalemie, with links via rail, air and lake, gives the rebels access to the rest of Shaba and to Kasai province in central Zaire.
On February 7, Kinshasa conceded the loss of Moba, another port on Lake Tanganyika, 145km further south.
According to ADFL leader Laurent Kabila, the rebels are tightening a "tourniquet" around Kisangani. Kisangani is the Zaire army's — and its hired guns' — base of operations for the east. It has an airport capable of handling large transport planes and is strategically located on the Zaire River, which connects the city directly with the capital, Kinshasa, 1200km away.
On February 7, the rebels captured Shabunda, about 140km south-east of Kisangani. They are on the outskirts of Kindu, a little further south, which also has an airport and army base. Control of Kindu would give the rebels direct river access to Kisangani.
Bafwasende, 200km north-east of Kisangani, fell on February 9.
Rebels are near Lubutu, 210 km east of Kisangani. The nearby Tingi-Tingi refugee camp is a centre of pro-Mobutu resistance.
The Zairean government has been flying in arms and ammunition for supporters of the genocidal former regime of Rwanda, who control the camp and are holding some 150,000 refugees hostage. The ADFL has agreed to delay an attack on the camp to allow United Nations officials time to figure out a way to separate armed Rwandan militias from the mass of refugees.
Kinshasa's much threatened counter-offensive has resulted only in some sporadic skirmishes in the far north-east. "Mobutu has no army. His generals are mere traders", Kabila joked at a press conference on February 6.
The presence of the so-called "White Legion" of mercenaries has made little difference to the government's capacity to fight back, he remarked.
The mercenary force of 300 includes white South Africans, Britons, French, Belgians and many from the former Yugoslavia. The London Times and Le Monde reported on January 8 that they were recruited by Colonel Alain Le Carro, former head of the presidential guard under François Mitterrand.
The force is led by former members of the French Foreign Legion and the British SAS. They are also working closely with the South African corporate mercenary army, Executive Outcomes.
The mercenaries have heavy firepower at their disposal, including late-model French helicopter gunships and at least three Russian Mi24 gunships that were in action in Afghanistan. The Zairean air force is equipped with MiG-21 jet fighters.
On February 17, air strikes on the towns of Bukavu, Shabunda and Walikale were reported, the first of the war. At least five civilians were killed in Bukavu's market. "They are killing people far from the front. It is a terrorist action", Kabila charged.
Kabila said rebels have killed at least six white mercenaries. It is rebel policy to not take mercenaries alive, he warned.
An official of Zaire's defence ministry told London Times reporter Sam Kiley on February 14 that most mercenaries were fleeing Zaire after having been defeated in two battles.
In liberated areas, thousands are joining the rebels. Kabila makes a point of visiting towns soon after they fall. In Goma on February 6, he told 5000 newly trained rebel fighters that their duty was to remove Mobutu and his "corrupt and rotten system".
"This army we are building is the medicine to end the ills of Zaire, ills created by greed and moral bankruptcy ... Go to the front and rescue your beautiful and rich country from the chains of slavery", he said. The graduation parade was watched by 300,000 cheering residents.
On February 12, Kabila was on hand to see another 1000 recruits graduate in the city of Uvira.
On February 14, 10,000 people cheered as the rebel leader arrived at a soccer stadium in Kalemie. Since Kalemie's liberation, 4500 residents have volunteered to join the rebel army. Since November, more than 15,000 rebel fighters have received basic training.