South African President Thabo Mbeki is expected to try to bolster the shaky Democratic Republic of Congo peace process when he visits the country this week.
He will be leading a delegation of seven cabinet ministers to launch the SA-DRC binational commission in the capital Kinshasa which he will co-chair with DRC President Joseph Kabila.
Mbeki is the godfather of the multi-party, power-sharing transitional government which was launched in the DRC two years ago, having personally taken charge of the Sun City negotiations where the terms of the transitional government were agreed upon.
But the government has been torn by tensions among the former battlefield enemies now sitting side-by-side in cabinet and by continuing warfare in the east of the country.
Last week one of the country's four vice-presidents, Azarias Ruberwa, the leader of the Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD) walked out of the government and returned to the eastern city of Goma which had been the RCD's base when it was still fighting Kabila's government.
Mbeki's delegation will comprise the following cabinet ministers: Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (foreign affairs) Mandisi Mpahlwa, (trade and industry) Pumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, (minerals and energy) Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, (public service) Sydney Mufamadi, (provincial and local government) Mosiuoa Lekota (defence) and Manto Tshabalala-Msimang (health).
The binational commission is designed to regulate political and economic relations between South Africa and the DRC.