During ongoing peace talks in Doha, Qatar, between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government and the AFC/M23 rebel group, it has emerged that one of the key demands from M23 is to be granted governance of both North and South Kivu provinces for the next eight years.
On Thursday, July 10, Kinshasa and AFC/M23 resumed peace negotiations that had been suspended for some time, under Qatar’s mediation.
According to a DRC diplomat who spoke to local media, M23 has proposed being given full control over security, administration, and economic management of the two crucial provinces.
“Their main demand is to govern both Kivus,” the diplomat said. “They are asking for complete authority over security, governance, and the economy in these two strategic provinces, for a period of eight years.”
However, the Congolese government has firmly rejected the idea of letting M23 control both Kivus, warning that it would pave the way for a long-feared plan to Balkanize Congo—a division the Kinshasa authorities say is already being plotted by some actors.
The government considers this proposal a ‘red line’ that cannot be crossed.
This demand from AFC/M23 comes at a time when the group has already set up parallel administrative structures in parts of North and South Kivu and continues to control key territories in both provinces.
