Peace talks begin in DRC
06/01/2008 18:02  - (SA)  

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Goma - A nine-day conference to secure a sustainable peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo's conflict-torn east opened on Sunday in Nord-Kivu's provincial capital Goma.

Among the 600 delegates attending are government ministers, lawmakers, international officials and representatives of the armed groups and ethnic groups in the eastern Nord- and Sud-Kivu regions bordering Burundi and Rwanda.

The conference is taking place at the Free University of the Great Lakes in Goma.

On Saturday the government announced the suspension of all military operations against rebels led by ex-general Laurent Nkunda in Nord-Kivu, in order to lay the groundwork for the talks.

The regional conflict, which pits rebels allied to Nkunda against the government and various militia groups, has displaced an estimated 800 000 people according to UN estimates.

But President Joseph Kabila, who spearheaded the peace meeting has ruled out the possibility of power-sharing among warring factions.

The gathering was originally scheduled for December 27, but delayed until January 6 to allow the organising committee to persuade various communities in both provinces of its merits.

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