Kabila's whirlwind tour

Diplomatic moves began with a meeting with Thabo Mbeki

By Jane Standley in Johannesburg

Some African presidents do not like to leave their countries too often for fear that they may be ousted from power while they are away.

But young Joseph Kabila appears to have no such worries.

Kabila's diplomacy

Tues Jan 30
President Mbeki

Wed Jan 31
President Chirac

Thurs Feb 1
President Kagame and Colin Powell

Fri Feb 2
Kofi Annan

He has astonished diplomats and other observers by meeting not only senior United States officials like Secretary of State Colin Powell, but also Congo's key adversary, the Rwandan leader, Paul Kagame.

Presidents Kagame and Kabila knew each other well when they were both exiled in Uganda, but overcoming more recent animosity will not be easy.

However, it is only this level of contacts between African presidents which will go any way to ending Congo's three-year, six-nation war.

France has welcomed Kabila's peace moves

Importantly, it is being accompanied by a round of diplomacy by western nations who see a slim window of opportunity to help broker peace.

Joseph Kabila's father, Laurent Desire, was widely regarded as an obstacle to ending the war. He even briefly detained his own son last year after a mutiny by Congolese soldiers who refused to go to the front.

While meeting the arch-enemy may cause anger in Kinshasa, the Congolese people are extremely weary of the hardships war has brought.

Colin Powell was impressed by Kabila's commitment

Diplomats and their capitals say they believe the youth and exile experience of President Kabila and some of his closest advisors may be giving him the confidence he is now showing.

He wants more for Congo than the sorry state it's in now. But he has not got a totally free hand. Joseph Kabila's security has been resting on troops from his father's old allies, Zimbabwe and Angola, and they will want to have their say too.