Before meeting with the president of Rwanda later this week to address rebel activities generating friction between the neighbouring countries, the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo met with his Kenyan counterpart on Monday in Kinshasa to discuss security in the nation and the area.
Felix Tshisekedi and President William Ruto of Kenya met one week after Kenya dispatched 900 troops as part of the East African regional force to the eastern Congo to put an end to the fighting and disarm the local rebels.
Ruto emphasized the commitment of his nation and the East African Community to aid in the establishment of a stable Congo.
As members of the East African Community, we are sworn to do everything it takes to help His Excellency the President, the DRC administration, and the people so that there may be peace in this nation, added Ruto.
“A calm area is in both our own and communal best interests,”
After months of hostility between the two neighbours over the insurgent actions in eastern Congo, peace negotiations are scheduled to take place in the capital city of Angola, where President Tshisekedi is anticipated to meet with President Paul Kagame of Rwanda.
Rwanda denies Kinshasa’s allegations that it supported the M23 rebel group in its fight against those forces.
The Monday scheduled meetings in Nairobi between the Congolese government and the rebel factions have been postponed.
The success of negotiations between Kinshasa and Kigali, according to independent political and security analyst Blaise Karege in eastern Congo, may help reduce tensions there.
Karege remarked in Swahili, “They should pay more attention to the negotiations in Luanda, and the president should keep engaging the Congolese people within the nation.”
“The president has to begin peace negotiations with all Congolese citizens, and we are aware of their desires.
The problem in the Congo must be resolved by the Congolese people and their leaders there, not elsewhere.
The peace in eastern Congo is in danger because of the rebel group M23’s rebirth, which has recently caused thousands of people to flee their homes.
The warfare in North Kivu has an ethnic component.
The majority-Tutsi rebel group M23 has accused the Congolese government of neglecting to defend their family from Hutu-led rebel organizations in the area.
The organization has sworn to battle other rebel groups and the Congolese army until they are assured of their protection.
A researcher on conflict and settlement at the Pole Institute in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is Joel Baraka.
He said that the president’s stance has always been to avoid talking to any of the nation’s rebel organizations.
“Many nations want to have a discourse.
He stated in Swahili, “They have a lot of interest in Congo, they have businesses, and they don’t like to see war.
The president wants to uphold his commitment since there will soon be an election.
He is quite concerned that if he talks to the rebels, he would lose favour with the Congolese people.”
Thousands of troops will be sent from the East Africa regional grouping to assist Congo in establishing and maintaining peace.
Street protests against the deployment of United Nations peacekeeping forces and other forces in Congo have been planned in recent months due to their failure to protect people.
