Congo River Alliance (AFC) and M23 rebel-coalition have set a list of demands to DR Congo president Félix Tshisekedi and his Angolan counterpart João Lourenço who must fulfill the said conditions if a direct meeting will take place.
Tshisekedi has through Angola, as the mediators for peace talks, expressed desire to dialogue with the AFC/M23 rebels who have continued to advance in eastern DRC.
Angola has proposed for the direct dialogue between AFC/M23 and Congolese government to take place in Luanda.
In a statement released today, the AFC/M23 demand that Tshisekedi publicly expresses and confirms his desire to negotiate with the rebel movement.
“The absolute necessity that Mr. Tshisekedi publicly and unambiguously express his commitment to direct negotiations with our organization,” the statement reads.
The AFC/M23 have also stressed the need for assurances that its representatives to be sent to Luanda are not arrested.
“The necessity for Mediation to formally inform the stakeholders of its initiative as well as its terms of reference; Because, to this day, our movement is not formally arrested and relies only on a statement published on the Facebook account of the Angolan Presidency,” the statement also reads.
The statement also further indicates the AFC/M23’s commitment to engaging in peaceful solutions to the security crisis in eastern DRC.
“In the meantime, the AFC/M23 remains committed to a peaceful solution and reaffirms that only direct negotiations will pave the way to a lasting solution to the current crisis,” it also states.
