The government of Kinshasa is at it once again. Recently, Congolese leaders were on record saying they would not be negotiating with M23 rebels who resumed their armed struggle last year, ending a 10-year hiatus. After fighting broke out between the two sides last year, M23 gained considerable ground on the battlefield, against Congolese government forces, despite the latter enlisting the services of several irregular militia groups, including the genocidal FDLR. However, to give peace a chance, the rebels recently agreed to surrender most areas they had captured in a show of good faith and commitment to both the Nairobi and Luanda peace processes. The territories they vacated have since been occupied by the East African Regional Force as stipulated under the two peace initiatives, backed by regional leaders. Instead of Kinshasa seizing this opportunity and pursuing an open and meaningful dialogue with M23, it has doubled down on war rhetoric, rejecting calls for peace talks. Kinshasa's attitude goes against both the spirit and letter of the Luanda and Nairobi processes, and Congolese government’s own commitment to talk peace with the rebels following their withdrawal. This, once again, demonstrates that President Felix Tshisekedi’s government is not interested in peace; neither does it take regional efforts to find a lasting solution seriously – which will only further complicate the situation. Tshisekedi’s government is now talking of cantoning M23 fighters after which it says the EAC force will be required to leave. This is contrary to the rules of engagement of the regional force, which was deployed to facilitate the implementation of the two peace processes. Kinshasa has also been vehemently opposed to the prospect of the regional force going after the genocidal FDLR militia, which was founded by perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The reason for this is obvious: the genocidal force is literally now part and parcel of the Congolese government forces. There is an urgent need for stakeholders in DR Congo peace processes to demand that Kinshasa honour its own commitments and seek a political solution to the problem in the east of the country, as well as end all forms of support to a genocidal force that’s only bent on continuing its genocidal agenda in the region. Short of this, it’s hard to see a breakthrough anytime soon.
