06 09 13 VoA – DRC Government ‘Ready’ For Peace Talks with M23 Rebels

Mende says President Joseph Kabila’s administration intends to
find a political solution to the conflict in the restive North Kivu province
following renewed clashes between the national army [FARDC] and the M23
rebels.

 “Our delegation has never totally left Uganda. So anytime we are
ready, even [Friday] we are ready, for the talks,” said Mende. “What we need as
a government is [for] the M23 to disarm themselves and dissolve as an armed
group. We cannot discuss with them while they are still armed and killing our
people.”

Mende’s comments came after heads of state in the Great Lakes
region demanded a resumption of the stalled peace talks between the Congolese
government and the rebels.

The African leaders, who met Thursday in
Kampala to find ways of ending the conflict, demanded the talks begin within
three days and end within 14 days.

Some analysts say the breakdown of the
peace talks led to a resumption of the conflict in the North Kivu province. But,
Mende denied the talks with the rebels have stalled.

“We have never
stopped these talks. We have given to the facilitator our draft for conclusions
and so did the M23, so both of us were waiting the synthesized documents from
the government of Uganda, so as to approve or reject [the proposals],” said
Mende. “So what the heads of state say did not disturb us at all. We really need
to finalize these talks and we are happy that they [the African leaders] have
put a deadline of 14 days.”

The leaders also urged the United Nations
Mission in the DRC, MONUSCO, to keep up pressure on the rebels to end the
insurgency.

Mende says the rebels are to blame for the renewed clashes.
He says the M23 attacked unarmed civilians despite talks in neighboring Uganda
to address their concerns.

“They started attacking the FARDC in the
field. So, now if they accept to resume talks, [then] let them stop fighting in
the field. They are Congolese and we are very ready to discuss with them, so it
is a good thing if we can resume talks,” said Mende.

Mende says
conflict-weary Congolese are hopeful the government would end the
conflict.

“The Congolese are expecting peace,” said Mende. “The Congolese
are expecting [that] our neighbor Rwanda stops interference in Congolese
affairs, stops giving guns to some of our compatriots to kill other compatriots,
and that is what we are expecting from this meeting with M23.”

The Rwanda
government sharply denies accusations it supports the M23 rebels fighting the
DRC government.