Goma residents express frustrations after M23 refuses to join Angola-led talks
Many residents of Goma expressed confusion over what they saw as the rebel group's disproportionate response to European sanctions.
The decision by the M23 armed group to boycott peace talks convened by Angola has ignited a sense of hopelessness among locals in Goma, according to local media reports.
The talks, reports indicated, had been seen as a source of hope for an end to their suffering, particularly for those who went into hiding when the armed group took over Goma city at the beginning of last month.
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The M23 rebels boycotted the talks in protest against European sanctions targeting some of their members, the group announced on Monday, on the eve of the discussions, adding that it would no longer participate despite having previously promised to send a delegation.
"The Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC-M23) deeply regrets that certain international institutions are deliberately undermining peace efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo and obstructing the much-anticipated talks. Successive sanctions imposed on our members, including those adopted on the eve of the Luanda discussions, seriously compromise direct dialogue and prevent any progress," the group's spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, said.
Many residents of Goma expressed confusion over what they saw as the rebel group's disproportionate response to European sanctions.
"For us, this is a great disappointment. We hope that those leading these talks will do everything possible to bring the M23 back to the negotiating table. European Union sanctions should not justify such a boycott. These discussions are aimed at engaging with the Congolese state, and the M23 claims to be Congolese. This argument, therefore, does not hold water," Radio Okapi quoted some locals as saying.
Meanwhile, civil society groups in eastern DRC are now calling to be involved in direct talks between the M23 and the government, arguing that the issues affecting the region are multidimensional and complex.
The call was made by Danny Singoma, the executive secretary of the Network for the Promotion of Democracy and Economic and Social Rights (PRODDES), which supports around 50 organisations in the region.
"These organisations believe that the security crisis in the DRC is not limited to the M23 issue. It is complex and multidimensional because it also encompasses political, economic, and social dimensions. Moreover, other regions of the country, such as Ituri—where massacres occur daily—Grand Katanga, Kwilu, Kwango, and Mai-Ndombe, are seriously affected by similar crises," Singoma said, according to reports by Radio Okapi.
The report added that civil society in Goma believes it would be dangerous to leave the warring parties alone to decide the future of Congo. It is therefore imperative that other social and political actors join the government and the M23 to discuss solutions to the crisis.
The Congolese government delegation arrived in Luanda on Monday to participate in negotiations mediated by Angolan President João Lourenço.
Angola has yet to issue a response to the M23's boycott.
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