Kenya’s Ex-President Kenyatta to Visit Goma for Peace Evaluation
On Wednesday, July 12, 2023, Uhuru Kenyatta, the facilitator of the peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is anticipated in Goma.
He will be greeted by the Minister for Regional Integration of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mbusa Nyamwisi, and the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Defense, Jean-Pierre Bemba.
Together with members of the Congolese government, the former Kenyan president is expected to evaluate the peace process in eastern DRC, where the ceasefire between the FARDC (Congolese army) and the M23 rebels is still fragile and where armed groups have imposed their rule for years.
The arrival of Mr. Kenyatta coincides with the deterioration of the ceasefire between the M23 and the Wazalendo armed groups, who claim to be defending Congolese territory.
On the agenda for the Goma meeting is a discussion regarding the cantonment of the M23 in the Rumangabo camp in eastern North Kivu.
After nearly four months of impasse, the rebels and the Congolese government’s positions are once again becoming more extreme, generating fears of a new military escalation in the Kivus.
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The Congolese government accuses the rebels of consolidating their position, while the M23 asserts that it has not pledged to disarm.
“It should be noted that our organization did not make any commitments regarding the pre-cantonment, cantonment, or disarmament programs,” M 23 secretary executive Benjamin Mbonimpa said in a press release on July 7. Kinshasa has refused to engage in “direct dialogue” with the insurgent movement for over a year.
Mr. Kenyatta convened the parties involved in the Congo crisis less than two weeks ago to urge everyone to do their part in restoring much-needed peace in Congo.
Mr. Kenyatta stated, “We have done a good job so far, but I am convinced that we will not be able to achieve our goals unless we work together and have a single common goal.”
In front of the United Nations, the Congolese government, African Union, the Great Lakes region, and East African community representatives, Uhuru insisted, “We must find a way to encourage all armed groups to lay down their weapons and join the peace process.”
Minister Nyamwisi announced upon his arrival in Goma on Tuesday that “the government is in action to negotiate the necessary turnabout to restore the peace so desperately desired here… Kenyatta arrives tomorrow, and politics and diplomacy are on board to discuss the necessary turnabout to obtain cantonment in Rumangabo.”
Kenya’s Ex-President Kenyatta to Visit Goma for Peace Evaluation
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