President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo has announced plans to initiate discussions for forming a unity government. This move comes amidst mounting international pressure for the Congolese government to address the ongoing crisis in the country’s eastern regions.
According to UN experts, the M23 rebels, who are backed by around 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, have been leading an insurgency in the central African nation since last month. The rebels have captured several key cities in the east, including Goma and Bukavu, resulting in the death of approximately 3,000 people.
Bukavu is situated about 50 kilometers from Burundi, whose soldiers have been fighting alongside the Congolese Army. The conflict between the Congolese army and M23 rebels has raised concerns of a larger regional conflict.
In his first statements since the rebel capture of major cities, President Tshisekedi addressed a meeting of the ruling Sacred Union coalition and urged them not to be distracted by internal conflicts. He stated that he lost a battle but not the war, and emphasized his intention to reach out to all parties, including the opposition, to form a government of national unity. However, he provided no further details regarding the specifics and timing of such a government.
Regional leaders have called for talks between the M23 rebels and the Congolese government, but President Tshisekedi has previously ruled out such dialogue, arguing that the rebels are a proxy force for Rwanda.
The UN Security Council has passed a unanimous resolution demanding that M23 immediately cease hostilities, withdraw from captured areas, and dismantle any parallel administrations established in the DRC. The Security Council emphasized that there is no military solution to the conflict in eastern DRC and called for an end to the M23 insurgency supported by Rwanda.
M23 rebels claim they are fighting to protect Tutsis and Congolese of Rwandan origin from alleged persecution and to combat an ethnic Hutu militia group linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Congo accuses the rebels of seeking to expand their control in the mineral-rich region, which analysts believe is a pretext for Rwanda’s involvement.
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Source: https://www.dw.com/en/dr-congo-president-to-hold-talks-to-form-unity-government/a-71720060?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
