TWO FLAGS; MOBUTU'S LAUNCH; GREETING BY DEBAT; PRESIDENTS TALKING.




Initials ERW/VS/BHH/SC



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Background: PRESIDENT JOSEPH MOBUTU, OF CONGO-KINSHASA, ON TUESDAY, CROSSED THE CONGO RIVER, WHICH SEPARATES HIS COUNTRY FROM CONGO- BRAZZAVILLE, FOR TALKS WITH PRESIDENT ALPHONSE MASSAMBA-DEBAT. THE TWO LEADERS MET TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE JOINING THE RECENTLY FORMED UNION OF CENTRAL AFRICAN STATES.

AS PRESIDENT MOBUTU'S LAUNCH CROSSED THE RIVER, PRESIDENT MASSAMBA-DEBAT WAS WAITING ON THE BRAZZAVILLE SHORE TO GREET HIM. M. JUSTIN BOMBOKO, PRESIDENT MOBUTU'S FOREIGN MINISTER, ACCOMPANIED HIM ON THE VISIT.

AFTER EXCHANGING GREETINGS, THE TWO PRESIDENTS TRAVELLED TO THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE IN BRAZZAVILLE, WHERE, WITH OTHER OFFICIALS, THEY BEGAN THEIR DISCUSSIONS.

PRESIDENT MOBUTU ANNOUNCED THE FORMATION OF THE UNION OF CENTRAL AFRICAN STATES ON 4 FEBRUARY, WHEN HE RETURNED FROM A 15-DAY TOUR OF NIGER, IVORY COAST AND THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC. THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC IS ONE OF THE SIGNATORIES TO THE AGREEMENT, WHICH FORMS THE UNION, WITH CHAD AND CONGO-KINSHASA. THE AGREEMENT UNDERLINES THE FACT THAT "THE UNION WILL REMAIN OPEN TO ALL INDEPENDENT AND SOVEREIGN STATES WHICH CARE TO JOIN".

WHEN HE ANNOUNCED THE UNION, PRESIDENT MOBUTU SAID THAT THREE OTHER STATES WOULD BE INVITED TO JOIN: BURUNDI, RWANDA AND CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE. PRESIDENT MOBUTU RECENTLY BROKE OFF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH RWANDA. TWO OTHER CENTRAL AFRICAN STATES, GABON AND ZAMBIA, WERE NOT MENTIONED.

IF THE THREE STATES AGREE TO JOIN, THE UNION WILL SPREAD OVER 1,700,000 MILES OF THE HEART OF AFRICA, WITH A POPULATION OF ABOUT 27,000,000.

CONGO-KINSHASA, BURUNDI AND RWANDA ARE FORMER BELGIAN TERRITORIES, WHILE CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE, CHAD AND THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC ARE FORMER FRENCH TERRITORIES.

PRESIDENT MOBUTU SAID THAT THE UNION OF CENTRAL AFRICAN STATES WOULD ONLY BE AN ECONOMIC GROUP TO BEGIN WITH, BUT MIGHT BECOME A POLITICAL ONE LATER, WHEN ECONOMIC PROBLEMS HAD BEEN SOLVED.