<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META content=text/html;charset=iso-8859-1 http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content='"MSHTML 4.72.3110.7"' name=GENERATOR> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV> Mandela calls for US troops in DR Congo [EM&G 16/2/00] FORMER president Nelson Mandela called on Wednesday for US participation in a UN peacekeeping mission in Democratic Republic of Congo, saying a strong force is needed to make peace. "The United States is already helping but they can make available more help," Mandela said after meeting visiting US Defense Secretary William Cohen at his rural home in Qunu in the Eastern Cape. Cohen, who arrived Saturday for a four-day visit, said on Tuesday Washington will not provide combat troops or peacekeepers to DRC, but could offer support in areas such as logistics, communications and intelligence. Asked specifically if the United States should send peacekeepers to DRC, Mandela said, "This is what is demanded. The more peacemakers we have in the Congo, the better. They are going to need a strong military force to be present." He added, "They (the US) have got the largest military force in the world and we need to deploy a strong force to be able to look after the interests of those who are in there to ensure there is peace." "Without the participation of the United States, it's going to be very difficult for us to make progress," he said. The 81-year-old Mandela added, "In the eastern part of the country there are several militias who, under whatever agreement is reached, have to be disarmed because they are not necessarily part of any agreement." "So it is a very dangerous situation indeed and unless there is a strong military presence, it's going to be difficult to bring about peace." The United Nations has urged for 5 500 military observers and support units to be sent to DRC to firm up a flagging ceasefire reached last August, about a year after rebels launched an uprising against President Laurent Kabila's government. -- AFP   ANGOLA ACCUSES SA OF MEDDLING [EM&G 16/2/00] ANGOLAN President Jose Eduardo dos Santos has accused South Africa of "meddling" in the internal affairs of Angola, the official Angola news agency 'Angop' reported on Tuesday. Speaking after a one-day meeting with his ally, President Sam Nujoma of Namibia, Dos Santos said: "It seems to me that it would be sensible for South African leaders to worry about their domestic problems, and leave Angola in peace." Last week, South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said that Angola's warring parties had to "face the unpleasant reality that there would be no military solution to the conflict", and that "negotiations had to begin".</DIV></BODY></HTML>