Govt quiet on Kabila, M23 meet

The government yesterday refused to comment on reports that it facilitated a meeting between representatives of the rebel M23 group and DR Congo president, Joseph Kabila, at the weekend.

Uganda’s minister of state for international relations, Mr Henry Okello Oryem, yesterday said: “I cannot confirm and I cannot comment on that story, ring [Crispus] Kiyonga”, referring to the Defence Minister.

Wire reports, meanwhile, quoted Dr Kiyonga confirming that he was mediating talks between unnamed Congolese officials and representatives of M23, the rebel group that last week took control of the eastern Congolese city of Goma and threatens to topple the government of President Kabila.

The Daily Monitor was unable to reach the minister by press time. But Dr Kiyonga reportedly told AP yesterday that “Uganda is trying to help both sides reach a settlement” that would end a rebellion that has sucked in Uganda and Rwanda. Both countries have vigorously denied accusations by UN investigators that they are backing the rebels.

A summit of regional leaders at the weekend called on the rebels to leave Goma and urged Kabila to listen to the “legitimate grievances” of M23. Separately, stealing a march on the region’s leaders, the political leader of the eastern DR Congo rebel group, Jean-Marie Runiga Lugerero, told AFP that he had had an initial meeting with Kabila after the summit in Kampala had ended.

While he was not invited to the summit, Lugerero said he had been able to meet Kabila thanks to the mediation of Uganda’s President Museveni. “The atmosphere was tense but afterwards, each [side] calmed the debate down because these are not personal problems, but problems of the country,” he told AFP by phone.

“I think the meeting went very well.” He and Kabila would meet again on Sunday to discuss how the talks would proceed, he added.

“They did in fact meet,” said Congolese Foreign Minister Raymond Tshibanda. But he denied that further face-to-face talks between Kabila and M23 were envisaged.
Lugerero’s announcement came just days after Kabila had appeared to rule out talks with the rebel force.

And a few hours earlier, in their closing statement, regional leaders at the summit had called on the M23 fighters to stop fighting and pull out of Goma within 48 hours.
Lugerero, however, made it clear that any withdrawal would only come about after talks between the rebel movement and Kabila.

M23 fighters would defend their positions if DRC’s troops attacked, he warned.
The summit was not attended by Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Mr Kagame was represented by his Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo.

Kagame has persistently rejected accusations, not just from Kinshasa but from UN investigators, that Rwanda is backing—and effectively running—the mainly Tutsi M23 force.

In their closing statement, the leaders called upon the M23 rebels to “stop all war activities” and “stop talk of overthrowing an elected government”.