The South Africa President, Mr Nelson Mandela, has repudiated the plan of President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe for a regional military rescue mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
In their most public confrontation so far, the two leaders were at loggerheads on strategy to defend President Laurent Kabila's 15-month-old government. Mr Mugabe and his Defence Minister, Mr Moven Mahachi, promoted a military intervention by the 14nation Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Mr Mandela, who is chairman of the community, opposed a military response to the conflict in the DRC, where Mr Kabila is facing a Tutsi-led rebellion to the east and the west of his capital, Kinshasa.
"Our attitude is clear in regard to this problem. It is not to worsen the position by sending a military force," Mr Mandela said in Pretoria.
Mr Mandela flew from Pretoria to Cape Town yesterday to join his deputy and heir apparent, Mr Thabo Mbeki, for a briefing by the Defence Minister, Mr Joe Modise, and Foreign Minister, Mr Alfred Nzo, on the regional crisis.
Mr Modise and Mr Nzo were due back yesterday from a two-day mission to Rwanda and Uganda, who support and could be actively backing the rebellion against Mr Kabila.
Mr Mugabe convened a meeting of defence ministers and senior officials from nine SADC countries earlier this week. On Tuesday, he said: "Our countries have spoken through their ministers and they all concur that aid must be given and be given soonest."
The Angolan Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr Jorge Chicote, confirmed in Luanda yesterday that an SADC mission was being prepared and said Angola would participate in some form.
Mr Mandela's spokesman, Mr Parks Mankahlana, condemned the claims by Zimbabwe and Angola the proposed action would be under the auspices of SADC.
"Anyone who pretends to be speaking for SADC on this issue is misleading himself and the world. The question of committing troops is a very, very serious and complicated one. It is a decision that would require a gathering of the 14 heads of state," he said.
Mr Mankahlana said South Africa remained convinced that a peaceful resolution was possible in Congo, Africa's third-largest country, adding: "The President will do all in his power to persuade the SADC member-states away from a military confrontation. "This is a decision which, if a mistake is made, could have catastrophic consequences."
A South African government source said Pretoria was weighing the possibility of beefing up Mr Kabila's forces in Kinshasa only to the extent that it would persuade the rebels that they could not take the city.
"If it was possible to persuade the rebels, without any fighting, that they could not take the capital, this could force a stalemate and give everybody the chance to negotiate, but there is no decision on that yet," the source said.
He also said Pretoria was concerned about a regional conflict developing with Mr Kabila and the SADC on one side and the rebels on the other backed by Rwanda and Uganda.
Congolese rebels said they captures a key garrison town outside Kinshasa last night. "We have captures Mbanza Ngungu," the rebel commander, Mr Dioudonne Kabengele, said.
Mbanza Ngungu, 120 km from the capital, was the last major government strongpoint on the road to Kinshasa. Analysts said the fall of Mbanza Ngungu would open the way for the rebels' march up the Congo River from the Atlantic coast towards Kinshasa, city of 7 million people.
A government aircraft attempted to bomb Matadi airport but Mr Kabengele said it was also driven away by the rebels. Rebel security officers said government jets were being flown by foreigners and hinted that Zimbabwe may have supplied the fighter aircraft.