Peace Talks in DRC Soon, Says Obasanjo

(Daily Nation)--UN special envoy to east Congo Olusegun Obasanjo has said Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila and rebel leader Laurent Nkunda will start peace talks soon.

Speaking in Nairobi, the former Nigerian president said after meeting the two sides on Sunday, efforts were being made to bring the two leaders on board for talks. He said he was happy that none of the two had set preconditions. ‘Nkunda’s concern is that the UN should not only facilitate the talks but also lead in the mediation.’ ‘Very soon we will have the two sides talking. (Gen) Nkunda was absolutely open to me. If what we are trying to put in place succeeds, then we will start the talks in a couple of weeks,’ he said.

He said President Kabila was concerned with the security, economic and political situation in the country whereas Gen Nkunda wanted his soldiers to be integrated into the Congolese army. ‘He also want to be part of the army; a career he likes,’ he said.

Mr. Obasanjo downplayed allegations of heavy fighting at a village known as Ndeko about 110 km north of Goma, moments after meeting both Gen Nkunda and President Kabila who assured him of ceasefire. He said many groups including UN forces in the DRC, Gen Nkunda’s National Council for the Defence of the People (CNDP) and Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) or a Congolese militia known as Mayi-Mayi, could have clashed in the area.

Mr. Obasanjo said other than the ceasefire; Gen Nkunda had agreed to open a humanitarian corridor to aid the refugees. He also said a committee would be set up to investigate any violation of the ceasefire. He said after meeting with President Kibaki, AU chairman President Jakaya Kikwete and Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni later in the week, he and his team will meet the UN boss for a briefing to hasten across the table talks.

Mr. Obasanjo, who was accompanied by Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula, said he also met Angola’s President Eduardo dos Santos who raised concerns of proliferation of small arms in the region if case the war is not stopped. The FDLR is made up of the former Rwandan army and the Hutu Interahamwe, alleged to be responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

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