Before the intervention by the AU, EAC, and the ICGLR, Congolese ruler Félix Tshisekedi was whizzing from the stranglehold of the M23 Movement, who were advancing at lightning speed, making easy work of the coalition of FARDC, FDLR, and Nyatura. Mai-Mai, CODECO, PARECO and mercenaries.
From his point of despair and weakness, Tshisekedi committed to his regional counterparts that if they helped him convince the M23 to stop advancing and withdraw, he would negotiate with them.
Fast forward, the M23 Movement has complied with the recommendations of the leaders of the region and has withdrawn from all positions they had captured. Yet, Tshisekedi is not coming through with his pledge. Instead, he goes around thumping his chest making war rhetoric.
The culmination of Tshisekedi’s show of lack of goodwill for the peace process was at the just concluded UNGA in New York, where he told the world that there would be no negotiations.
Days later, Christopher Lutundula, the regime’s prime minister who also doubles as foreign minister, in a collabo with the vice prime minister and minister of security, Jean Pierre Bemba, issued an ultimatum for the M23 “to withdraw” or else…. The ultimatum was of course redundant because the M23 withdrew months ago!
Tshisekedi must pick a struggle. He should make it categorically clear whether he wants peace in eastern Congo or he wants the perpetuation of conflict. Right now, it is not clear what he exactly wants because his priorities keep shifting every passing day.
The region has invested a lot of resources in sending troops and military equipment to facilitate a peaceful resolution of the conflict in a sustainable manner in eastern Congo. Tshisekedi should therefore show political maturity and meet them halfway so that Congolese people can experience peace like the rest of their counterparts in the region.