The third round of the dialogue aimed at silencing guns in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo kicked off in Kenya on Monday under the auspices of the Nairobi Process. The talks are being championed by the East African Community. The talks come months after yet another wave of fighting broke out in the restive region, mainly pitting the rebel group M23 against a coalition of troops led by the government forces. They are also being held against the backdrop of a mini-summit that was held last week in Luanda, Angola during which a number of resolutions were adopted, including the admission to a cease fire by the Congolese government to give a chance to the regional peace efforts. A notable outcome for Rwanda from the Luanda meeting is the resolution to disarm and repatriate the genocidal militia, FDLR which was formed by the vanquished members of the former Rwandan regime who masterminded the Genocide against the Tutsi. They continue to foment the same genocidal agenda even in DR Congo and have used the neighbouring country as rear base for their incursions into Rwanda. Back to the Nairobi Process, it was surprising that the talks, which are due to last until December 3, attracted over 40 rebel groups operating in eastern DR Congo but no single delegate from M23, the main protagonists. Their absence on the negotiation table has been attributed to the fact that they were never invited, which leaves in doubt any tangible outcome of the talks because, the Luanda ceasefire was ostensibly declared to allow the political process in Nairobi to proceed. It will therefore be difficult for the talks to yield tangible results that the millions of Congolese citizens, especially those in the east and others who have been condemned to life in exile mainly in neighbouring countries due to the insecurity in their region. However, all is not lost. The fact that there is willingness to talk and silence the bullets, irrespective of the form the negotiations have taken is one step in the right direction. What is now left is genuine goodwill by all parties to respect whatever that will be agreed on.
