The government of Uganda has reportedly been holding secrete talks with the Congolese M23 rebels.
Uganda’s President Museveni has been in touch with the Congolese rebel group, the M23, and told them to stop fighting, Defence Minister Crispus Kiyonga has revealed.
Dr Kiyonga told ugandan press that secret meetings have been going on between Ugandan authorities and the rebels fighting DRC government, following a request by the Secretary General of International Conference for Great Lakes Region, Mr Ntumba Luaba.
The request came after the M23 rebels threatened to attack Goma town.
“We reached out to them and we have been having quiet contact with them for two reasons. The first reason was to insist that they stop fighting and secondly, to try and understand why they are fighting,” Dr Kiyonga said.
He added, “These people are rebels. You need to get their confidence. So, the agreement was that our contact with them should be discreet.”
“In this case, the quiet contact was appropriate. You can’t conduct matters of the rebels in the press. But it was sufficient that all key parties knew what was going on.
This was not our initiative, we were contacted and requested to make these contacts discreet.”
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