Nairobi Conclave: representatives of the Banyamulenge community withdraw from talks

Representatives of members of the Banyamulenge community have boycotted the Nairobi talks since Thursday. For good reason, an armed attack which claimed lives of seven members of this community in South Kivu (Eastern DRC) on November 30. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

In a statement released on Thursday, representatives of the Banyamulenge community speak of an unacceptable and unbearable situation.

They denounce an armed attack by the Mai-Mai in collaboration with the Burundian rebels of Red Tabara in the highlands of Minembwe in the province of South Kivu in the east of the DRC.

“Seven people died in this attack and 10 others injured”, according to a statement from representatives of this community.

They ask the Congolese government and the facilitation led by the East African community to “condemn this attack” of November 30 and others perpetrated in the territories of Mwenga, Uvira, Itombwe and Fizi since April 2017 with the objective, they denounce, “the ethnic sweep”.

The Nairobi negotiations were also delayed for several hours on Thursday. The Congolese delegation suspected a leak of the discussions to a neighboring country through chips installed in the translation equipment, participants confirmed to SOS Médias Burundi.

“We demand the departure of the armed groups behind these killings and sanctions against these groups in accordance with what was agreed by all the parties involved in these negotiations and as announced by the special envoy of the head of state in these talks”, said Enock Ruberangabo, one of the Banyamulenge representatives in Nairobi.

According to him, “there is no point in continuing the talks while attacks continue to occur on the ground, contrary to what has been agreed”.