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Slain Congo President Laurent Kabila's body is carried by a car after a ceremony at the People’s Palace
in Kinshasa Officials for the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) promised a full inquiry into
the killing of President Kabila Thousands of mourners and several African leaders attended his funeral.
Congo holds memorial
for fallen President Kabila
by Tim Sullivan
Associated Press
KINSHASA, Congo — One week
after President Laurent Kabila was gunned
down by a bodyguard, this crumbling
9 capital city said farewell to him Tuesday,
with Kabila’s son joined by the nation’s
key military allies as the coffin was
paraded through the streets and placed in
a white marble mausoleum.
Joseph Kabila, who was quickly
named president after his father was killed,
remained somber through the service,
watching silently as dozens of dignitaries
bowed before the white and gold coffin,
and exchanging only brief words with
visiting heads of state.
The younger Kabila — who was
raised in neighboring Tanzania and
Uganda and does not speak Lingala, the
main language of this part of Congo —
did not speak at the service. Other
members of Kabila’s inner circle
remembered him as a hero of Congolese
history, who toppled the longtime
dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.
“It is true that the disappearance of
Laurent Kabila is a painful event,” said
Interior Minister Gaetan Kakudji,
speaking at the heavily-protected
People’s Palace. “But if we think about
it, we will understand that he
accomplished his mission in snatching
back the power confiscated for many
decades and returning it to the people.”
In many ways, the service showed
the irony of Kakudji’s words.
Surrounding Joseph Kabila and other top
officials were hulking, heavily armed
soldiers in jungle camouflage — nearly
all of them either Angolan, Zimbabwean
or Namibian. Apparently fearing trouble
from their own soldiers, Congolese
officials chose to leave them either
unarmed or further away from the cen
ter of power.
And a few speakers made
pointed comments about the
country’s more than two-year-old
war, which has killed thousands,
destroyed the nation’s economy and
split the country into government
and rebel-held regions.
“Let us stop this war,” Cardinal
Frederic Etsou said. “We are all brothers
and sisters... Let’s reconcile so that we
will save our nation.”
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Attention Student Organizations!
rDoes your student organization receive student activity fees'1
IVould you like to receive money to provide programs to LISC students?
Sdre you tfie new treasurer of your organization and need help?
r Then, you [TIT attend one of these Treasurer s Workshops to be eligible!
Soring 2001 Treasurer's Workshops
Thursday, January 18th 3:30pm RH 322/326
Monday, January 22nd 3:30pm RH 315
Wednesday, January 24th 3:30pm RH 315
"Wednesday, January 24th 5:00pm RH 315
Thursday, January 25th 3:30pm RH 302
""Thursday, January 25th 6:00pm RH 302
Thursday, January 25th 7:00pm RH 302
* This session is designated
for sports clubs.
** This session is designated
for international clubs.
Contact the Student Government office at 777-2654 or drop by
Russell House Room 110 for more information.
IJ you are planning on receiving student activity Jet’s Jor the zoo i-zooz school year,
your treasurer 'MU&Tattend one oj these workshops!
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Abortion battle heats up
with beginning of Bush era
by John Heilprin
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Abortion pro
testers marching on the capital promised
legislative fights and cheered President
Bush’s first major action in office —
overruling an abortion-friendly policy
by his predecessor.
At the same time, abortion-rights
groups girded for battle. The president
of the National Organization for Wbmen
said Bush had removed the “moderate
mask that he wore during the election”
by ruling out U.S. cooperation with many
family-planning organizations abroad.
“Read My Lips — No More
Partial-Birth Abortion” proclaimed a
sign held by Randi Grantham of
Wellington, Fla., demonstrating in a
smiling Bush mask. The 36-year-old
sculptor’s sign had a more ominous flip
side: “It’s War! Baby.”
Bush imposed strict restrictions
Monday on U.S. funds to international
family-planning groups involved in
abortion, even for counseling people
about it or lobbying governments about
it. The order was similar to a policy of
Bush’s father, which President
Clinton, overturned when he took
office in 1993.
Bush’s move coincided with a
demonstration'by thousands carrying
signs that read “Defend Life” and “Stop
Abortion Now,” in a march to the
Supreme Court that’s become an annual
rite of protest against Roe v. W&de, the
Supreme Court decision that legalized
abortion nationwide 28 years ago.
“It is not respectable for people who
advocate and tolerate abortion to be in
. high positions of government,” said
Nellie Gray, the president of March for
Life Fund. Gray spoke at the annual
_ abortion protest rally her group has
sponsored since 1974.
There was something different
this year: President Bush, an abortion '
opponent sworn in two days earlier,
welcomed and encouraged the
protesters. s
• “Two days qgo, Americans gathered
on the Wellington Mall to celebrate our
nation’s ideals. Today, you are gathered
to remind our country that one of those
ideals is the infinite value of eveiy life,”
Bush said in a message read by Rep.
Christopher Smith, R-N.J., an abortion
foe.
Abortion opponents hope to take
advantage of the new political landscape
to push a Republican-controlled
Congress and White House they expect
will be more sympathetic to overturn
ing Roe v. Wade.
Yemen hijacking ends safely
for passengers and crew
by Susan Sevareid
Associated Press
ADEN, Yemen — A man claim
ing to be a supporter of Saddam
Hussein hijacked a Yemeni plane
carrying the U.S. ambassador and 90
others Tuesday and diverted it to
nearby Djibouti, authorities said. The
man was overpowered by crew
members, and everybody aboard was
reportedly safe.
Ambassador Barbara Bodine and
the other passengers safely left the
plane using its inflatable emeigency
exit chute after the hijacker was
subdued, said acting U.S. Embassy
spokesman Donna Visocan, contacted
in the Yemeni capital of San'a.
Visocan said the embassy had no
immediate information on the fate of
the hijacker, his motives or demands.
But she said officials heard he had been
unaware the passengers included U.S.
diplomats.
In Washington, State Depart
ment spokesman Richard Boucher said
“really terrific action” on the part of
the crew, airline officials and Yemeni
authorities helped foil the hijacking.
Abdulmejid Tarek of the immigra
tion police at Djibouti airport said the
hijacker was taken to a local hospital,
apparently with injuries inflicted by his
own gun. Tarek had no details.
Visocan said Bodine, who was
accompanied by other embassy staff,
lata- flew back to San'a on a plane sent
by the Yemeni government to retrieve
passengers. Bodine had been flying to
the city of Taiz for meetings with
Yemeni President Ah Abdullah Saleh,
who has been in the area inspecting
government projects.
It was not clear whether Bodine’s
meeting with Saleh would be
rescheduled. Gen. Tommy Franks, the
Florida-based commander of the U.S.
Central Command, was already in Taiz
to meet with Saleh, Visocan said.
The meeting apparently was called to
address the teirorist attack on the USS
Cole as it sat in a Yemeni harbor and
other security matters.
Yemeni airport officials, speaking
on condition of anonymity, said the
hijacker used the aircraft’s radio to
peak to them about 15 minutes into
the half-hour flight, saying he would
blow up the Boeing 727 if it were not
diverted to Djibouti, a Horn of
Africa counuy just across the Gulf of
Aden from Yemen.
The officials said the man poke
with an Iraqi accent and that they
believed he was armed with a grenade
and a pistol. The hijacker also told
airport officials he was a supporter of
Iraq and the Iraqi president
The Yemeni Interior Ministry said
the hijacker was an Iraqi who wanted
to go to Iraq.
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