Full-scale talks on the future of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) resume in Pretoria on Monday, but behind-the-scenes negotiators have failed to resolve deep divisions between the government and rebels on power-sharing.
Participants, who also include opposition politicians and members of civil society, set up technical committees to continue the negotiations after they adjourned the talks on November 23, but the committees failed to meet a Friday deadline and were continuing to meet over the weekend.
”The stalemate has been in the political committee,” said Bene MPoko, the DRC ambassador to South Africa and a member of the government delegation.
”We cannot make progress on the power-sharing in the provinces and the division of embassies and state enterprises,” he said.
”Outside pressure is now needed to get new momentum in the negotiations. The political will is not there. We need pressure from outside. We need the involvement of the international community.”
M’Poko said the committees had made some progress on integrating the armed forces, and on security matters — the rebels are demanding that their security in Kinshasa be assured.
That came with the assistance of a UN military expert, ”and the South African military also lent a helping hand,” he said.
The Ugandan-backed Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC) led by Jean-Pierre Bemba and the Rwandan-supported Congolese Rally For Democracy (RCD) led by Adolphe Onusumba are both insisting on power-sharing down to village level, as well as a role in running the police, the army, the intelligence service, the diplomatic service and state-owned companies in the planned two-year run-up to the first elections since those on independence from Belgium in 1960.
The parties to the negotiations have accepted the principle of President Joseph Kabila remaining as head of state with four vice presidents representing the government, MLC, RCD and a conglomeration of small groups both armed and unarmed, but the government rejects all power-sharing outside the government and parliament.
The MLC and RCD announced Thursday that they had united on terms for a transitional government.
”The intransigence of the government helps the two rebel movements to build a common front,” declared MLC secretary general Olivier Kamitatu.
”It seems that the Pretoria talks will inevitably lead to a new political bipolarisation.”
Kamitatu renewed his group’s call for ”vertical” power-sharing across all governmental levels from the top to the provinces to the towns, as well as the demilitarisation of the capital.
”Everything still remains to be done to resolve issues that could lead to the signature of a peace agreement for the DRC,” he added.
Kinshasa official Vital Kamerhe, in charge of the peace process in the Great Lakes region, said on Wednesday that under no circumstances would the government allow the demilitarisation of the capital, nor would it allow power-sharing to stretch across all levels of government.
M’Poko meanwhile said a meeting between South African President Thabo Mbeki, Kabila and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda due to have been held in Pretoria on Wednesday to review a pact on the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from the DRC and repatriation of Rwandan rebels had been postponed until the new year.
The three presidents signed the Pretoria Accord on July 31, committing Rwanda to withdrawing its 20 000 troops from the DRC as the Rwandan Hutu rebels hiding out in the DRC after being involved in genocide against Tutsis were rounded up and sent home. – Sapa-AFP