Museveni: DRC’s Tshisekedi Should Hold Talks with M23 Rebels
President Museveni has said his Congolese counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi should speak to M23 rebels operating in the eastern part of the vast and mineral-rich country.
“I want to encourage president Tshisekedi to engage in peace talks with the M23 rebels,” said Museveni on Friday.
“I believe that inclusivity is crucial for achieving lasting peace in the DRC,” he added.
Museveni spoke during a meeting with Members of Parliament from the Ituri Province Committee at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi.
The nine-member delegation was led by Hon. Draza Atsule Jean-Claude.
The development comes just days after the M23 rebels accused the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) of preparing for a large-scale war that could undermine regional security.
“The M23 remains concerned that the war the DRC government eagerly seeks will severely impact the region,” said the rebels.
The security situation in eastern DRC continues to deteriorate significantly, with fears of an escalation of the armed conflict between the rebels and government forces.
Regional leaders recently met in Bujumbura where they said the security situation in Eastern Congo can “only be sustainably resolved through a political process and dialogue among all the parties” and urged the government in Kinshasa to “work with the facilitator (Uhuru Kenyatta) to finalise the appropriate dates for the resumption of the inter-congolese dialogue.”
In Kinshasa, the appetite for talks with M23 remains low.
DRC President Felix Tshisekedi maintains he will not talk to M23 whom his government describes as “terrorists.”
Tshisekedi is also suspicious of the East African force and recently said it should either fight M23 rebels or leave Congolese territory.
Tshisekedi also wooed the South African Development Community (SADC) to deploy a force to counter the M23 rebels.
However, Museveni expressed the view that “all factions should be brought together to work towards a unified future.
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