Power sharing talks continue behind closed doors

Resumed power sharing talks between the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, rebel groups, the unarmed opposition and civil society were continuing on Thursday in Pretoria, South Africa, the South African Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ronnie Mamoepa, told IRIN. "Discussions are still going on behind closed doors," he said, adding that he had received no indication when the talks might conclude. "The participants are not communicating at public level," he said, "we are waiting for them to advise us". After almost a two-week break, the talks resumed on 15 November to focus on the distribution of state responsibilities among various Congolese groups, the UN reported. Delegates from the government, the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD-Goma), the Mouvement pour la liberation du Congo (MLC), the RCD-National, the RCD-Kisangani-Mouvement pour la liberation, the unarmed opposition and civil society were all present. The United Nations Special Envoy to the DRC Moustapha Niasse - who is co-charring the talks with South Africa's Minister for Provincial and Local Government Sydney Mufamadi - reminded the participants that the distribution of state responsibilities was not an end in itself, but a means of facilitating smooth and efficient functioning of the transitional institutions, the UN reported on Monday. On 16 November, the participants were presented with copies of a working document prepared by both Niasse and Mufamadi, which summarized the various power-sharing proposals submitted by the parties over the past few weeks, the UN said. These included proposals on principles, objectives and structures to be put in place for the two-year transition period. The inter-Congolese dialogue, chaired by Ketumile Masire, will formally endorse any agreement reached in Pretoria.