Opposition groups reject national dialogue offer

A coalition of main DRC opposition groups on Friday rejected President Felix Tshisekedi's offer of a national dialogue aimed at reconciling the conflict-wracked country, reports africanews. Critics have accused Tshisekedi of wanting to use such a dialogue as a means of embedding his own position. On Thursday, Tshisekedi ruled out letting the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group, which has seized swathes of territory over the past five years, join the talks. A peace accord signed in December in Washington was the ‘appropriate framework’ for dealing with the organisation, he said. The peace deal has failed to end the fighting. Some opposition forces have long demanded any dialogue include M23 representatives as well as representatives from the camp of former President Joseph Kabila, condemned to death in absentia a year ago for ‘complicity’ with the armed group. The opposition is presenting a united front against a government-proposed constitutional amendment which could allow Tshisekedi elected in 2019 then re-elected in 2023 – to stand for a third term following a referendum. The current Constitution limits the number of presidential terms to two. In early August, Tshisekedi referred a controversial Bill upheld by the Constitutional Court in July back for a second reading on relaxing conditions for organising referendums. The A64 coalition has called a day of protests scheduled for 15 September. Authorities suppressed a July rally in Kinshasa against the constitutional amendment and several opposition supporters were injured in clashes in which the UN said at least one person was killed.

Full africanews report