By VOM Newsroom
Bertrand Bisimwa, a Congolese rebel and President of the March 23 Movement, (M23) says his troops will only withdraw from their current positions in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, after Felix Tshisekedi and his Government agree to some form of commitment towards dialogue.
Bisimwa made the remarks yesterday during a press briefing in Bunagana, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The M23 rebel group has in recent months, seized large swathes of territory in North Kivu, capturing several towns near the borders of Rwanda and Uganda
Mr. Bisimwa says the M23 is committed to an all-inclusive dialogue with the Congolese Government.
He accuses Mr. Tshisekedi of deliberately choosing war as the only option to resolve the long-standing conflict that has uprooted thousands of innocent civilians.
The clashes in Eastern DR. Congo have since sparked a diplomatic row with neighboring Rwanda which is being accused of backing a mostly Congolese Tutsi group.
Rwanda denies any involvement.
Bisimwa says the Kinshasa Government is playing its cards close to the chest and using the international stage to mobilize support, including military intervention.
Bisimwa says, the Congolese Government has proven to be deceitful in the past and this is evident when predecessor, Joseph Kabila managed to sign a peace deal with the rebel group back in 2013.
Since that time, the Congolese Government has reneged on the conditions of the agreement.
Accusations and Counter Accusations
Bisimwa, who was accompanied by Willy Ngoma, the military Spokesperson for M23 managed to parade 10 combatants, who allegedly belong to the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC).
The individuals, who included one female and a pastor are said to have been working together to thwart M23 gains in the region.
Shared testimonies among the combatants indicate that FDLR fighters are working with the Congolese Government, a claim that adds a new twist to the accusations and counter accusations being thrown around in the vast mineral rich country.
Voice of Muhabura was not in position to readily verify the claims of the combatants present at the press briefing.
Ngoma, who is facing EU sanctions connected to his alleged involvement in the massacre of civilians the United Nations report is fake and should not be taken seriously.
Ngoma insists that dialogue is the only way to avert a ‘silent genocide’ that is likely to be perpetuated against the Congolese Tutsi.
A preliminary investigation by the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, and the Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) found that at least 131 civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo were killed by the M23 in retaliation for clashes between the rebel group and rival armed groups.
Both Bisimwa and Ngoma say the report is far from authentic and insist that MONUSCO’s failure in the DR. Congo continue to shine a spotlight on its ineffectiveness to deliver the truth.
The issues in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo continue to take center stage among African countries meeting in United States for the Africa Summit.
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