He said the aim of the dialogue is to include both the government and rebel officials around the conference table. Under such conditions, the National Resistance Council might end its participation in the peace process. Francois Ibovi says the government approves of the idea of a national dialogue. The peace process is about to intensify. Ibovi, who is also the Communications Minister, did not provide information as to where the dialogue would take place.
All political tendencies are to be included, from exiled dissidents to civil society.
A source close to the president in Brazzaville says that the dialogue may take place in Gabon, whose president, Omar Bongo, was designated as the mediator. Colonel Boungouanza did sign the accords, but that does not make him the monitoring committee's spokesperson. General Mbaye accused Colonel Boungouanza of not respecting his commitments and asked him to abstain from making comments that cause despondancy among the people. The Gabonese president recently declared that the inter- Congolese national dialogue would finally take place this year. However he said before that could happen Congolese opposition leaders living in exile had to to support the collection of arms so that the peace process could unfold under the right conditions.