The rebel group starting negotiations with the Congolese government wants the country’s president to resign, according to a rebel document.
Jean-Marie Runiga, president of the M23 rebels presented to Press a list of demands that he said will be presented to the Congolese government.
The rebels’ demand for Congolese President Joseph Kabila to step down comes as a leading advocacy group says the president is “unable to effectively govern the country.”
The M23 recently withdrew from Goma, the capital of North Kivu province in eastern Congo, in order to begin negotiations with Congolese President Joseph Kabila’s government.
But the Congolese government and the rebels have so far disagreed on how the negotiations should be conducted, who they should include and what issues should be discussed.
On Monday, the M23 delegation refused to attend the preliminary meetings in Uganda after the government representative objected to their opening speech, saying it was “insulting.”
The rebels came back to the table Tuesday, but observers are skeptical that the talks will lead to concrete results and resolve the conflict. The delays have already increased tensions, threatening to restart the fighting.
Speaking from eastern Congo territory that the rebels control, Jean-Marie Runiga, the president of the M23, said if given the opportunity, the rebels could retake the city of Goma in eastern Congo.
“The information that I have is that Kinshasa is reinforcing its positions. It is bringing troops, weapons and ammunition. If we are attacked, we grant ourselves the right to defend ourselves and go very far. And this time we will not retreat,”
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