Kinshasa (Congo): A number of armed and civil groups announced today they are boycotting peace talks organized by Congo's government to try to bring an end to violence in the nation's lawless east. "If there is war after (these talks), it's because there is a lack of satisfaction and a lot of frustration," said Didier Bikati, a spokesman for the Mai Mai militia.

The boycott throws a pall over the talks. Still, some people say the huge attendance at the hastily organised conference is a sign of how much hope there is in the process. The government had expected 300 delegates drawn from the government and the vast country's numerous militias. Yet, on the third day of week long talks, the number of registered delegates has surpassed 800,overwhelming the conference's capacity and its USD 2 million budget.

"To these 800,you need to add another 500 people who came of their own volition to participate," said Vital Kamerhe, the president of Congo's National Assembly who is the spokesman for the conference. "It's going to cost a lot of money, but that is the price of peace." To pay for the spiraling cost of the conference, Prime Minister Antoine Gizenga launched a national campaign asking citizens to donate the equivalent of $1 each and announced he would donate half of his own monthly salary.

The peace talk were announced last month after Congo s army failed to root out the army of Laurent Nkunda, a warlord who commands more than 1,000 men in the jungles of eastern Congo. Nkunda announced ceasefire for the duration of the talks and sent a 10-member delegation to attend the conference over the weekend.

Source : PTI