MBUJI-MAYI, Democratic Republic of Congo -- President Joseph Kabila on Tuesday invited the facilitator of the inter-Congolese dialogue, Ketumile Masire, to visit Kinshasa to prepare the implementation of the Pretoria peace accord. In a letter, a copy of which was received by AFP, Kabila said: "The signing of the Global Accord concluded on December 17 in Pretoria is a big advance in the process that you started at Sun City and which should lead the Democratic Republic of Congo on the way to peace and reunification of the national territory." The letter went on: "In view of preparing and creating the adequate conditions for implementing this important agreement, I should be happy to welcome you in Kinshasa during the first fortnight of January 2003."

"The Congolese people, its government and myself base a real hope on the application of this instrument of peace and national reconciliation," said the message sent from Mbuji-Mayi, capital of Kasai Oriental Province.

Kabila has since Monday been on a nine-day visit to the central provinces of Kasai Oriental and Kasai Occidental.

Shortly after taking over the presidency from his assassinated father Laurent Kabila in January 2001 he had given a boost to the peace process by asking Masire, the former Botswana head of state, to be "facilitator".

Masire's role had come to an end with the signature in Sun City, South Africa, of an accord signed in April by most of the groups making up Congolese society but never put into practice.