JOHANNESBURG - Zairean rebels say the opening of peace talks with the government is being stalled by divisions among President Mobutu, his cabinet and the army. But the rebels say they expect all three factions of the administration to send representatives to the negotiations in South Africa in the coming days. President Nelson Mandela met Mr Mobutu's envoy yesterday in an effort to convene face to face talks between the Zairean government and the rebel leader, Mr Laurent Kabila. "All I want to say is that there is progress, which is very encouraging," Mr Mandela said afterward. But Dr Bizima Karaha, a member of the rebel delegation, said there can be no talks until the divided administration agrees a common negotiating position. While Mr Mobutu put out secret peace feelers in the hopes of winning a ceasefire, and elements of the badly mauled government army urged talks, Zaire's prime minister and his cabinet ruled out major concessions to the rebels.
"There's no co ordination between the government, the army and the presidency. That's one of the problems we're having at the moment. "They don't know who speaks for who," Dr Karaha said.