By RISDEL KASASIRA | The Monitor | Nov 28, 2012
Kampala, Uganda - The Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, has said the Congolese rebel group, M23 have agreed to withdraw from the city of Goma within 48 hours.
Gen. Nyakairima yesterday told journalists in Kampala that the agreement was reached in a meeting he had with the commander of the rebels, Col. Sultani Makenga in Kampala on Monday night. By Mid-day November 27 (yesterday), the M23 begins withdrawal from Goma to a selected ground of tactical importance, while leaving a company of 100 (fighters) at the airport. This withdrawal is to be completed within 48 hours, he said.
The proposed international neutral force and the Congolese force will also each deploy 100 troops to make a force of 300 to be stationed at the airport for the initial three months. The withdrawal will see Congolese government forces regain control of Goma, which they had fled as the M23 fighters advanced towards the city.
President Museveni is the chairperson of a regional body, International Conference on Great Lakes Region, that has been mediating talks between DR Congo and M23 since July. Goma is the provincial capital of North Kivu, in the eastern DR Congo, a region that has experienced wars for the last decade.
Two military observers from each ICGLR member country will be deployed at the airport as part of the observers to monitor the process. The rebels are also expected to pullout of the town of Sake as negotiations with Kinshasa government to solve their concerns continue.
The United Nations Mission Stabilisation Mission of Congo (MONUSCO), will secure a buffer zone by means of inter-position between the new position of M23 and the Congolese forces. Gen. Nyakairima, who is also coordinating the withdrawal, also said the Congolese police which had surrendered its guns to the M23 rebels, were expected by mid-day yesterday to get their guns back and start policing the city.
A ICGLR meeting in Kampala on Saturday told the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to listen and resolve the grievances of the rebels. This was one of the 10 resolutions agreed upon by presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania and DRCs Joseph Kabila.