Sources said Mnangagwa and Ramaphosa discussed Kabila’s predicament in Zimbabwe in August and agreed that the treason charges were not fair

The international relations department was not aware of the rebels’ presence in South Africa

Opposition officials in the DRC have accused the government of blocking their attempts to travel to the forum hosted by the Thabo Mbeki Foundation

Tshisekedi was elected in December to replace Kabila who presided over sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest country for nearly two decades

But there are fears that Felix has been co-opted by Joseph Kabila, who controls the electoral commission

Since his father founded the UDPS in 1982, the party has served as an opposition mainstay in the DRC

Ahead of the announcement of the election winner in the DRC, tensions reached boiling point and police had to fire teargas at opposition supporters.

A joint statement from major Congolese opposition parties cites irregularities in the recent election and rejects early results showing Kabila on top.

Government and opposition supporters in the Democratic Republic of Congo clashed in a pre-election fight two days after violence left 15 wounded.