By Chris Muhizi Minembwe Capital News Saturday June 3rd/2023.

Rwanda wants the M23 rebel group to take part in the negotiations to bring peace to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo; this idea may cause a stir in Kinshasa.

Rwandan Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente urged the leaders to include the M23 in both the Nairobi Process and the field visit and verification at the Rumangabo camp for the pre-cantonment program meant to see the group withdraw from occupied areas in exchange for reintegration and reconciliation during the 21st Extraordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State on Wednesday in Bujumbura.

Of all the parties involved in the Nairobi Process, an East African Community peace initiative, Kinshasa has rejected discussion with M23, asking that they first cede territory to Kinshasa.

Ngirente said, “We don’t understand how the M23 isn’t involved in the process that is going to evaluate where they are going to be living.”

“The interested parties must be included in peace negotiations, even if that means they must leave the areas where they are now present. The M23 should be a member of the team that visits the location to confirm its acceptability, he said the Summit.

As negotiations went on in Bujumbura, the Congolese army charged the M23 of preparing to restart hostilities. The FARDC said that the rebels were preparing to start a fight less than 20 kilometers from Goma. The accusations were denied by the M23.

According to #TheeastAfrican, Maj-Gen Sylvain Ekenge, the spokesperson for the Congolese army, reported that the FARDC had witnessed M23 and Rwandan Defense Force recruits moving toward Kibumba (Nyiragongo area, less than 20 kilometers from Goma), where they had established their headquarters.

He said that the goal of the redeployment was to target Goma and therefore worsen the humanitarian catastrophe and unrest.

Declared that the objective of this redeployment is to target the town of Goma and so worsen the humanitarian catastrophe and insecurity.

The M23 denied the assertions. The M23’s military spokesperson, Willy Ngoma, characterized Ekenge’s comments as “unwarranted and distorted, aimed solely at misleading public opinion.”

The organization said, “The M23 never prepares for war, but rather for dialogue,” while accusing the FARDC and the FDLR, a Rwandan rebel group operating within the DRC, of doing so.

The organization said, “The M23 never prepares for war, but rather for dialogue,” and accused the FARDC and the FDLR, two Rwandan rebel groups operating within the DRC, of doing so.