19 09 13 Allafrica: Uganda: Congo Talks to Discuss Amnesty for M23

The
talks will also discuss integration, demobilisation, and
reconciliation, governance and social economic reforms, possible
release of prisoners, return and resettlement of refugees and
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), as well as the return of
expropriated properties.

Dr.
Kiyonga this afternoon opened the plenary session for the peace talks
between M23 and the DRC government at Speke Resort Munyonyo. The
resumption of the talks comes after the emergency meeting of regional
Heads of State and leaders following renewed fighting in eastern DR
Congo.

Kiyonga
told the two sides to aim to conclude discussions in line with the
Heads of States' assigned deadline of two weeks.

Kiyonga
said, "We have been in the dialogue since 9th December last
year. We have been here for quite some time and as a consequence
there is growing concern that it is time the dialogue concluded
business."

Kiyonga
said that since the closure of the Heads of State emergency summit,
consultations have been ongoing behind closed doors involving him as
facilitator and the two sides.

"My
reading as the facilitator is that the government and M23 are still
interested and committed to the talks," he added.

He
said that despite the slow start, significant progress has been made
with the two delegations having reviewed the status of implementation
of the peace agreement that was signed on 23rd March 2009 between the
Kinshasa government and the then CNDP rebel group.

He
said the review of progress of the 2009 agreement led to a proposed
draft agreement that has since been consolidated into a draft
document containing the views of the two sides.