Diplomacy effort inspires little optimism for resolving DR Congo conflict

The Democratic Republic of Congo government and international envoys are trying to end the insurgency by M23 rebels in North Kivu province, which is backed by a Rwanda eyeing the natural resources across the border. Despite diplomatic efforts, a UN call for talks and a new influx of foreign soldiers, there is little chance the insurgency will end. Relations between the two neighbours have long been tense. The M23, associated with the Tutsi ethnic group, is fighting in part to protect Tutsis from rival Hutu extremist groups. UN ambassadors for France and Gabon, ending a three-day visit to the area, stressed a political solution to end the fighting, which has displaced over 800,000 people.

The DR Congo government wants the international community to impose sanctions against Rwanda and rules out negotiations with the M23. Mamy Asumini Kayumba, a resident of Goma, a city of more than one million people increasingly threatened by the advance of M23 fighters, said talking was no solution. The East African Community has already deployed a regional force consisting of Kenyan and Burundi troops to North Kivu. Angola, which helped broker the latest cease-fire that collapsed last week, has also sent a military unit. The UN Security Council should instead go tell the Rwandan government to withdraw its soldiers, who are killing Congolese and shelling cities.