DR Congo opens political consultations for unity government

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) – The Democratic Republic of Congo government began political consultations on Monday with a view of forming a government of national unity amid escalating security crisis in eastern part of the country, officials announced.

Views on forming a unity government will be sought from political and social actors including the Sacred Union, the ruling parliamentary coalition, opposition parties within and outside parliament, civil society, and prominent national figures, according to Eberande Kolongele, Congo’s president security advisor who is leading the consultations.

“When the homeland is in danger, the Head of State has the duty to mobilize all forces to bar the way to the enemy,” Eberande said in a statement issued by the prime minister’s office.

Congo’s Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka, and Sama Lukonde, the country’s Senate president, were among those who presented their views on Monday.

Lukonde said the political consultations are part of a spirit of national cohesion and national unity, in the face of the security situation in eastern Congo.

“The exchanges are open to all members of the opposition as well as Congolese civil society. The goal here is to achieve the formation of an inclusive government,” he told reporters in the capital Kinshasa.

In February, Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi announced plans to establish a government of national unity as part of efforts to address the conflict in eastern Congo.

For about three decades, eastern Congo has been facing insecurity posed by several armed groups.

About 6.7 million people were internally displaced by violence prior to the latest escalation and over one million Congolese live as refugees across Africa, according to the UN.