DRC opposition rejects President Tshisekedi's offer of national dialogue

A coalition of main DR Congo opposition groups on Friday rejected President Felix Tshisekedi's offer of a national dialogue aimed at reconciling the conflict-wracked country.

Tshisekedi's critics have accused him of wanting to use such a dialogue as a means of embedding his own position.

On Thursday, he ruled out letting the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group, which has seized swathes of territory over the past five years, join the talks.

A peace accord signed in December in Washington was the "appropriate framework" for dealing with the organisation, he said.

The peace deal has failed to end the fighting.

Some opposition forces have long demanded any dialogue include M23 representatives as well as representatives from the camp of former president Joseph Kabila, condemned to death in absentia a year ago for "complicity" with the armed group.

The opposition is presenting a united front against a government-proposed constitutional amendment which could allow Tshisekedi -- elected in 2019 then re-elected in 2023 -- to stand for a third term following a referendum.

The current Constitution limits the number of presidential terms to two.

The Article 64 coalition, comprising the main opposition parties, stated Friday it "categorically opposes and strongly rejects the so-called public consultations initiated by Felix Tshisekedi in place of an inclusive national dialogue".

The statement said opposition parties regarded the proposal as a "continuation of (Tshisekedi's) manoeuvres" to secure a third term in office.

On Thursday, the president had urged political leaders to "renounce all hate speech" and called for compromise.

In early August, he referred a controversial bill upheld by the Constitutional Court in July back for a second reading on relaxing conditions for organising referendums.

The A64 coalition has called a day of protests, originally scheduled for August 15, to September 15, confirming the date Friday.

Authorities suppressed a July rally in Kinshasa against the constitutional amendment and several opposition supporters were injured in clashes in which the UN said at least one person was killed.