During the summit, the heads of state directed for resumption of direct negotiations and dialogue with all state and non-state parties including M23 rebels.
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Corneille Nangaa Yobeluo
Corneille
Nangaa Yobeluo, the Coordinator of Congo River Alliance-AFC, a coalition of the
March 23 Movement (M23) rebels has said that they are open to a direct dialogue with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government to solve the root cause of
the conflict.
Nangaa
revealed this in a letter released on Saturday and addressed to heads of
state and government of the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African
Development Community (SADC) who held a joint summit on Saturday in
Dar-es-Salaam Tanzania over insurgency in the eastern part of DR Congo.
The summit
happened after fierce fighting between M23 rebels and Armed Forces of the Democratic
Republic of Congo (FARDC) soldiers and coalition forces that led to the fall of
Goma City and Goma International Airport in North Kivu province into the hands of
M23.
During
the summit, the heads of state directed for resumption of direct negotiations
and dialogue with all state and non-state parties including M23 rebels.
They also asked the EAC and SADC Chiefs of Defense Forces to meet within five
days and provide technical guidance on immediate and unconditional ceasefire
and cessation of hostilities, provision of humanitarian assistance, including
the repatriation of the deceased and the evacuation of the wounded, re-opening
of the main supply routes, notably Goma-Sake-Bukavu;
Goma-Kibumba-Rumangabo-Kalengera-Rutshuru-Bunagana and Goma-Kiwanja-Rwindi-Kanyabayonga-Lubero,
including navigation on Lake Kivu between Goma and Bukavu as well as immediate
reopening of Goma international airport.
The
leaders also directed that modalities for the withdrawal of uninvited foreign armed
forces from the territory of DR Congo be developed and implemented.
In a
letter, Nangaa believes that the solution to the crisis that has stayed for more than 30
years is a direct dialogue. He argues that the Congolese crisis in the
east of the country whose main cause lies in the illegitimacy of President
Félix Tshisekedi is political.
Nangaa
also in a letter reminded SADC States that Tshisekedi recruited Rwandan Defense
and Liberation Forces-FDLR (accused of genocide in Rwanda) into his guard, in mining sites and the war front, without taking into account the
resulting risks of extermination of the local population, mainly targeting
Congolese Tutsi.
He also protested about the involvement of SADC troops in the
hostilities to fight alongside the FDLR in support of the illegitimate regime
in Kinshasa.
It
remains unclear if the cessation of hostilities will be observed by the
belligerents as directed by EAC and SADC heads of state during the joint
summit.
On Saturday night intense fighting between M23 rebels and
FARDC/coalition was reported in Bushaku, Kalehe territory, South Kivu province.
