Kabila murder report 'rubbish'

Kabila funeral: Conspiracy theories surround his death

Rwanda, Uganda and Congolese rebels have dismissed claims that they were behind the assassination of the Democratic Republic of Congo's former President, Laurent Kabila.

We have never taken part in anything like that

Ugandan Government

A report released by the Kinshasa government on Wednesday pointed the finger at the country's enemies in the two-and-a-half year war and said January's murder was part of a coup d'etat attempt.

Rwanda described the claims as "outlandish", while Uganda said assassination was not part of their political work.

The report was greeted with disappointment in Kinshasa as it gives few details of what lay behind the murder and has not put paid to the large number of conspiracy theories.

Prime-suspect Colonel Kapend was not mentioned in the report

A Rwandan Government spokesman said that the document was simply an attempt by Kinshasa to discredit its opponents.

"They are fabricating and concocting everything to smear the image of their enemies... Let them produce proof of the allegations", he said.

The Rwandan backed RCD-Goma rebels dismissed the report as "total rubbish".

Head of security Bizima Karaha said that the report "shows they've got no clue at all of what happened or they're determined to hide what happened".

Assassin named

The report names the assassin as bodyguard Rashidi Mizele but says he was part of a wider coup attempt.

It was part of a plot to make a coup d'etat

Congolese attorney-general

About 100 people were arrested following Mr Kabila's assassination and the report does not make any mention of these people.

One high profile name missing was Laurent Kabila's aide de camp, Eddy Kapend.

Colonel Kapend had been the first to go on national television to say the president had been shot and ordered the closure of all borders.

He was arrested soon after and remains most people's prime suspect, but the commission refused to discuss his role, saying only that the judicial process in the country would continue and should be respected.

The lack of names in the report led one Kinshasa newspaper on Thursday to say that "we are swimming in vagueness". Another said that the memory of Mr Kabila had been betrayed.

Coup

Announcing the findings on Wednesday, DR Congo Attorney-General Luhonge Kabinda Ngoy said on Wednesday: "Rwanda and the RCD-Goma worked together in the assassination of the head of state.

"Their special services and representatives were present in Kinshasa and certain neighbouring countries."

Mr Ngoy also said: "It was part of a plot to make a coup d'etat."

Laurent Kabila had acquired many enemies and was seen as a stumbling block to the peace process aimed at ending the country's war.

His son Joseph Kabila, who replaced him as head of state, has made much more progress.