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Possible delay of peace talks

[DRC] Ketumile Masire, Inter-Congolese Dialogue Facilitator Cape Argus
Ketumile Masire, inter-Congolese dialogue facilitator
    NAIROBI

    The next round of peace talks on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) may be delayed until mid-February, Bo Heineback, the donor relations manager for the talks, told IRIN on Thursday.

    Heineback said that although the target time for the dialogue remained the end of January, it might be delayed until mid-February. The Office of the Facilitator for the DRC Peace Process was still trying to resolve the outstanding issues of participation of all parties concerned, and funding, he said.

    The 45-day talks are expected to cost an estimated US $4 million. This includes the cost of flying about 300 delegates to the conference venue in Sun City, some 180 km northeast of Johannesburg, accommodation, meals and conference facilities.

    "I hope and am fairly positive that we will have received the money required," Heineback said. Over 20 donors, including the European Union, individual European states, the United States, Canada, Japan, and some Southern African Development Community (SADC) member countries had pledged funds for the peace talks at various stages, he said. He now urged them to "hurry up and pay".

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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