Ambassador Replies

To the Editors of The Crimson:

I would like to comment on the recent opposition to the visit of President Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire and to the story headlined "Activists Plan Demonstration" in the September 28 issue of The Crimson.

In the article, a student stated that her organization, the Southern Africa Solidarity Committee, will "challenge the extent to which Mobutu is qualified to speak on peace and progress." On numerous occasions, President Mobutu has proven his ability as a peacemaker. After five years of civil war following the independence of the "Belgian-Congo," he united the country under the banner of the M.P.R. in 1965, giving the citizens of Zaire peace and stability for over two decades. In 1983, the President sent Zairian troops to Chad in order to assist the Chadians in their battle against the Libyan army. Recently, President Mobutu has assumed a prominent role in the discussions over the dismantling of the apartheid system in South Africa.

Undoubtedly, one of President Mobutu's greatest achievements has been the Angolan cease fire agreement which was signed on June 22 in Gbadolite, Zaire. Although the peace process in Angola is not complete, the fact is that President Mobutu took the first step toward peace in Angola by bringing the two combatants together for the first time since the war began fourteen years ago.

President Mobutu has been asked to speak on the subject of peace in Southern Africa because he has been a voice of reason in a region of instability for over twenty years. Muchobekwa Kalimba wa Katana Ambassador of the Republic of Zaire