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Congo pledges to talk with M23 insurgents about ending hostilities.
A spokesperson for the Congo’s authorities announced on Monday that it would engage in peace talks with the Rwanda-backed M23 insurgent group that has taken control of crucial regions of the mineral-rich south. According to Tina Salama, the director for President Felix Tshisekedi, a delegation representing the Congo is already present in Luanda, the capital of Angola, for the discussions. Tshisekedi had previously turned down direct talks with the insurgents.
According to M23’s spokeswoman Lawrence Kanyuka, the group also traveled to Luanda.
When the Rwanda-backed insurgents advanced and took control of the important city of Goma in January, the conflict in eastern Congo grew even more dire. Bukavu arrived in February.
Last year, Angola, which has mediated the issue, announced that it will hold strong peace talks with M23 on Tuesday.
After Rwanda made the filing of a peace deal contingent on a strong dialogue between Congo and the M23 rebels, Congo refused to agree to the cancellation of the peace talks in December.
Tshisekedi said in a statement to the political army on January 18 that “dialogue with a criminal group like the M23 is a red line that we will not cross.”
In a fight that has resulted in one of the most important humanitarian crises in the world, M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that has been fighting for a foothold in the mineral-rich southeast Congo near the border with Rwanda. More than 7 million people have been displaced.
According to UN experts, the insurgents are supported by about 4, 000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, and they have occasionally vowed to move as far as Kinshasa, the country’s capital.
A commission was established by the UN Human Rights Council last month to look into crimes, including those alleged to have committed murder and murder on both sides, in a manner reminiscent of” summary executions.”
The US State Department confirmed that preliminary conversations had begun and stated last week that it was ready to discuss a mine agreement with the Congo.
Rep. Ronny Jackson, the US special envoy to the Congo, and Tshisekedi met with him on Sunday to talk about potential security and economic alliances.
After the conference, Jackson told writers,” We want to operate together so that American companies can engage and work in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and we have to make sure there is peace in the country.”
