VOA常速英语2007-Bush Meets DRC President Kabila at White House

By Scott Stearns
White House
26 October 2007

U.S. President George Bush and Congolese President Joseph Kabila met at the White House Friday to talk about economic development and efforts to re-establish security in eastern Congo. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story.

When President Kabila was last at the White House four years ago, President Bush pressed him to hold free and fair elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mr. Kabila took power following the assassination¹ of his father, Laurent Kabila, who led a rebellion that toppled long-time dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.

Joseph Kabila won the country's first multi-party elections last year, and President Bush says America will help consolidate² the gains of greater political freedoms.

"Mr. President, you said that you wanted there to be free and fair elections. And you delivered," said Mr. Bush.  "And I appreciate that and congratulate you on being a man of your word and we look forward to continue to work with you, sir, to bring peace and stability to the neighborhood."

With that vote behind him, President Kabila says his priorities have shifted from elections to stability, peace, and development.

"We need continued support from the United States in order to achieve these two remaining goals which are peace and stability throughout the whole country and embark³ on a very, very long journey of development and really try to combat poverty, which is the biggest issue not only in the Congo, but in the region and on the African continent," he said.

President Bush offered to work with the Congolese leader to encourage private investment in his country to create jobs and establish the security that comes with economic development.

Mr. Bush says the men also discussed President Kabila's strategy for re-establishing government control over parts of the eastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri.

Various rebel forces and militia⁴ are active in a part of Congo that has been unstable⁵ since the 1994 genocide in neighboring Rwanda sent millions of refugees into what was then Zaire.

President Bush says he and the Congolese leader also discussed efforts to combat Malaria⁶.

1 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

2 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。

3 embark   

vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机

参考例句：

• He is about to embark on a new business venture.他就要开始新的商业冒险活动。
• Many people embark for Europe at New York harbor.许多人在纽约港乘船去欧洲。

4 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

5 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

6 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。