In Doha yesterday, M23/AFC demanded that Kinshasa release the 700 prisoners rotting in its jails and allow the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of refugees stranded in Rwanda.
This follows Kinshasa’s deliberate snub of earlier requests and the continuous hostile campaign against M23, mostly through warmongering and or endless publications accusing M23 of imaginary executions in areas under their control.
Kinshasa has lately been abuzz that M23 was abandoning Doha process, a lie they would exploit to show that they are not committed to peace process. In actual reality, it is Kinshasa that has been dragging feet to observe everything it signed previously in Doha.
News reports, last week, had suggested that Tshisekedi had already lined up names of prisoners to be released, including those held in DEMIAP, in line with the Doha Declaration, but as usual, nothing materialized. Typical Kinshasa style of saying one thing, do the exact opposite.
The truth is these demands are not new. They have been sitting on the table for months. They were written right into the Doha Declaration of Principles that Tshisekedi pretends to respect while at the same time sponsoring damning UN reports against M23. How does that make peace possible?
Take the case of prisoners. M23 has consistently raised the plight of those jailed simply for political survival. Instead of action, Kinshasa turns a blind eye. The same goes for refugees. Whole families, generations even, remain stuck in Rwanda following refusal of repatriation by Kinshasa and in accordance with refugee conventions. Repatriation was not a favor, it was an obligation.
Each time M23 raises these issues, Kinshasa responds not with dialogue but with threats. Yesterday’s statement only underlined the obvious: Tshisekedi is busy playing sponsor of propaganda instead of peacemaker. He can’t claim to seek stability while ignoring commitments he already signed.
If peace is really the goal, then Kinshasa must stop hiding behind reports and empty speeches. The roadmap is already written. It begins with prisoners and it ends with respect for the agreements made.
