Banda cancels Kenya trip

Banda cancels Kenya trip
Written by Noel Sichalwe
Saturday, November 08, 2008 6:22:59 AM

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda yesterday abruptly cancelled his trip to Kenya to attend the regional head of state summit that was convened over the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

According to the programme released on Thursday, President Banda was scheduled to attend the summit in Kenya yesterday and later travel to South Africa to attend an emergency Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting to address the problems in Zimbabwe.

By 05:30 hours, ministers, senior government officials and other dignitaries had gathered at Lusaka International Airport to see off President Banda.

However, the government officials were informed of the change in the programme.

By the time the ministers realised that President Banda would not travel, the pilot of the Challenger was already warming the engine in readiness to take off.

Among the ministers that were at the airport were health minister Brian Chituwo, energy minister Kenneth Konga and works and supply minister Kapembwa Simbao.

State House principal private secretary Alfred Chipoya later informed journalists that President Banda would not travel and that instead, he would send foreign affairs minister Kabinga Mpande and home affairs minister Ronnie Shikapwasha.

A summit in Nairobi, Kenya, was held yesterday on the crisis in DRC.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and DRC President Joseph Kabila, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete who is the African Union chairman were among others that were supposed to attend.

Ban has expressed deep concerns about the ongoing violence in the eastern DRC.

Ban has since called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of forces to positions held prior to the resumption of fighting on August 28.

Congolese rebels have been fighting government forces in eastern Congo despite a recent cease-fire.