Congo peace talks extended for a day

Talks in Nairobi to end three months of fighting in Eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo were on Wednesday extended for a day.

The talks, which started on Monday were scheduled to end Wednesday when the media was also supposed to be briefed on the progress made.

However, officer-in-charge of the United Nations Information Centre in Nairobi, Mr Nasser Ega-Musa, said the media will be briefed Thursday.

And he also denied the media has been barred from covering the event.

The face-to-face talks have been taking place between Congolese rebels and officials of President Joseph Kabila’s government.

They have been taking place at the United Nations headquarters in Gigiri, Nairobi.

United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, who is also a former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo continued to chair the talks.

In the talks, attempts are being made to have the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) negotiate directly with the Congolese government on the modalities of ending the fighting in the country’s mineral-rich Eastern region. Fighting has been going on between CNDP and government troops.

The rebels, led by Gen Laurent Nkunda, have also inflicted heavy losses on the Congolese army.

Representatives

President Kabila has sent his International and Regional Cooperation minister Raymond Tshibanda to the talks while Gen Nkunda is being represented by Mr Serge Kambasu Ngere, the deputy executive secretary for the CNDP.

Gen Nkunda, who is accused of being a proxy of Rwanda, has repeatedly demanded direct and exclusive talks with the government, and has threatened to invade the capital Kinshasa to topple the government if the demands are not met.

So far, he has made good on his word, capturing large chunks of the mineral-rich North Kivu province, reaching the gates of the capital Goma by late October.

Kinshasa finally called for talks in Nairobi but invited all armed groups in DR Congo – more than 20 by some counts – which did not turn up save for CNDP.