US President George W Bush pledged Friday to help Congo press ahead in the fight against malaria and to aid President Joseph Kabila in building the African country's economy, according to dpa. Bush said during a White House meeting Kabila shared his strategy for extending the government's reach to eastern Congo, where the army and a rebel militia have been fighting. "We look forward to continuing to work with you, sir, to bring peace and stability to the neighbourhood," Bush told reporters. He congratulated Kabila for winning last year's democratic elections in Congo, a resource-rich country that was wracked by a civil war centred on the east in 1997-2002. Congo's government last week extended a surrender deadline for renegade general Laurent Nkunda, dampening tension in the hills of North Kivu province where Nkunda's militia holds sway. Kabila said he asked Bush for continued US support to fight poverty and stabilise Congo. The aim is "to come back from 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," Kabila said. Calling him "our friend," Bush said he also told Kabila he wanted to help Congo fight malaria. "This is an issue that can be solved," Bush said.
