KINSHASA (AFP) — Rebel general Laurent Nkunda Wednesday called for talks with the Democratic Republic of Congo government after his troops scored important victories in the volatile eastern Nord-Kivu province.
"We need to negotiate. We call for the opening of discussions with the government," rebel spokesman Rene Abandi told AFP as Nkunde's forces faced off against UN peacekeepers.
"This war has been imposed on us from the beginning," he said. "We believe that the solution to the problem is political and not military, even though the situation on the ground is currently in our favour."
Over the past two days, Nkunda's fighters have taken back all the positions they held three months ago, when fighting started with the Congolese army forces (FARDC) in troubled eastern DR Congo.
Late Tuesday, the rebels closed in on the town of Sake, about 30 kilometres (20 miles) north-west of the UN-defended provincial capital of Goma.
The UN mission to the DR Congo, MONUC, has reinforced its troops in the region and has vowed not to lose Sake to Nkunda's forces if they move on the town.
Early Wedesday, a MONUC spokesman said the area around Sake was calm after some sporadic gunfire overnight.
"The situation is unchanged in Sake. MONUC is controlling the town," said Major Prem Tiwari, the UN mission's military spokesman in Nord-Kivu province.
"We have reinforced our positions. We won't let this town fall into the hands of Nkunda's troops."
Since the end of August 20,000 government soldiers in Nord-Kivu has been involved in sometimes heavy fighting with around 4,000 Nkunda loyalists as they attempt to force the rebel militia to demobilise and hand in their arms.
Less than a week ago the government described its capture of the town of Mushake as a "great victory" in the fight against Nkunda, who claims to be defending Tutsis against Hutu rebels from neighbouring Rwanda.
The rebel general has rejected demands by Kinshasa and the UN to disarm, and by Washington to surrender and go into exile. DR Congo's President Joseph Kabila has ordered the army to disarm the rebel fighters by year's end.
When asked if the rebels intend to attack Goma or other cities, Abandi said: "That will depend on the situation, whether they want to continue to pound us or not."
"It is not the first time that we have won a military victory against FARDC, which is always in the end saved by MONUC. This situation cannot last forever," he said.
"We do not want to topple the institutions. We want to fundamentally discuss our demands."
Ever since it was set up in July 2006, Nkunda's National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) has been demanding the "neutralisation" of the Mai Mai militia which it says is being backed by the government to fight Nkunda's men.
The CNDP is also demanding the return of Congolese Tutsi refugees sheltered in neighbouring countries, including Rwanda, and the dropping of what it claims are ludicrous war crimes charges against Nkunda dating back to 2004.
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