By John Stephen Katende

22^nd Oct 2012:

Africa Confidential magazine has revealed that indirect talks have commenced in the Ugandan capital Kampala between the M23 rebels based in North Kivu and the Kinshasa based government led by President Joseph Kabila.

The development may be borne out by reports last week that the president of M23 rebel movement Bishop Jean-Marie Runiga had called upon DRC President Joseph Kabila to embrace peacetalks with his rebel group.

Runiga however warned that fighting may resume soon in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo if Kinshasa refuses to negotiate with the rebels.

“We see that the Congolese army troops are moving. They are preparing a final assault against us. If the government does not come to the negotiating table we will have to defend ourselves,” Runiga said at a press conference last week in Bunagana, a town near the border with Uganda.

Asked if the M23 rebels thought of taking the initiative and attacking themselves, Runiga said they “could take Goma at any moment… If we want to wage war, we can. We have the strength.”

The M23 movement controls much of North Kivu and South Kivu.  Last month, UN peacekeeping Chief Herve Ladsous said the M23 has already set up a parallel government in the eastern Congo and could seriously threaten Joseph Kabila’s government.

Media reports in the last few months have indicated that M23 president Jean-Marie Runiga has been residing in Kampala, where he is said to have regular contacts with President Yoweri Museveni.

Details of the exact nature of the contacts between the two leaders remain contradictory – with other reports claiming that Museveni is leading peace mediation efforts between the M23 rebels and Joseph Kabila’s government, while others claim that he is actually the M23’s “political godfather”.

END.  Login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories mid-week for our updates

Follow us: Twitter: @UGCorrespondent

Follow us: Facebook: Uganda Correspondent