In a communiqué issued on 6 August 2016, the International Support Group for the Facilitation of the National Dialogue in DRC commended the efforts being made by Edem Kodjo, the African Union appointed facilitator of the dialogue, to bring all stakeholders to initiate the dialogue.
Composed of the AU Commissioner, the AU Special Representative to the DRC, the Head of the UN Peacekeeping Mission to the DRC and the UN Secretary General Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region; the Group last week consulted all sides of the Congolese polity involved in the national dialogue.
It called upon all Congolese politicians to demonstrate their spirit of cooperation with the facilitator so that a truly inclusive national dialogue can be held. The Group further reaffirmed the importance it accords to the swift and effective opening of the dialogue, in compliance with the DRC Constitution, AU instruments and UN Security Council Resolution 2277.
The multilateral support body vowed to continue its consultations with all Congolese political stakeholders and international actors preoccupied by the risk of instability in the country. This will enable Kodjo to set a date for the rapid opening of the process that will culminate in the effective start of the dialogue.
The Group took the opportunity to congratulate the ruling coalition and the opposition platform Rassemblement on the peaceful holding of their respective rallies on 29 July 2016, for the ruling coalition, and 31 July 2016, for the opposition.
It finally hailed the decision of the Congolese government to free certain political detainees so as to de-escalate tension prevailing in the political arena.
The opposition still maintains its rejection of Kodjo, accusing him of playing in the hands of President Kabila.