Nkunda Should Not Have Been Given This Opportunity

When Laurent Nkunda, the congolese rebel commander, was asking a dialog with the current DR Congo governement, I knew he was changing the tune of his renegade war he's been waging in the northeast region of this central africa's country.

The man has lately seen various visits paid to him by the world leaders as an opportunity to not miss. They have broadened his vision and emboldened his ambition. First, it was the UN envoy, then the ex Nigerian president, Mr Obasanjo, who has been nominated as a mediator to lead the talks between the DR congo government and the rebel movement, the CNDP, led by Nkunda, and just recently, Mr Louis Michel, the EU Humanitarian Minister has met Nkunda in his fief city of Uvira after his delegation thretened to withdraw from the talks.

Nkunda's delegation to Nairobi, the Kenya's capital city, where talks were being held is asking for the DR Congo constitution to be rewritten as to institute a new political order. This comes after the world community has spent a little more then a billion dollars supporting the political process that led to the first independent and democratic election since the country was granted independence from Belgium.

No doubt the series of humiliating defeats Nkunda's fighters has inflicted on the government troops have pushed the government to yield to Nkunda's demand of direct talks. And the government is engaged in these talks in a position of weakness. The question now is how the government is going to answer Nkunda's demand? Let's wait and see what these talks will yield as they are scheduled to reconvene by the 17th of december 2008.