Since gaining independence from Belgium in 1960, the Democratic Republic of Congo has endured political and social turmoil. Colonel Mobutu Seso Seko seized, during post-independence turmoil, power and held it for 32 years until he was deposed by a rebellion led by Laurent Kabila in 1997. The country was soon (1998) involved in a war with six other nations, caused by an uprising by rebels linked to Rwanda and Uganda.
The 1994 genocides in Rwanda, the slaughter by Hutu extremists of more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus, brought many refugees into the DR Congo.
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General Laurent Nkunda, rebel commander and responsible for killings, torture and rape, sees himself as a guardian of peace and the only one who can protect his tutsi community. He fought with the RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front), the rebel movement formed by Rwandan Tutsi exiles, which ended the 1994 genocides in Rwanda. After that he returned to his home, DR Congo, as a commander in the Rwandan-backed Rally for Congolese Democracy. This rebel group came to controll most of eastern DR Congo during the five-year civil war.
Nkunda was first accused for committing warcrimes as a commander in the town Kisangani in 2002, similar charges followed when he captured Bukavu. When the RCD and other rebel units joined the national army Nkunda refused. He says that the Rwandans are his only allies.
The government issued an international arrest warrant in 2005 against Nkunda and many see him as the biggest reason why the election, which hopefully will bring the 40 years of turmoil to an end, is yet to be 
held.
He says his goal is to pursue and eliminate the remnants of the Hutu Interahamwe militias who fled into the DR Congo when the RPF seized power in Kigali. DR Congo has twice been invaded by Rwanda, with the motive to stop Hutu Interahamwe cross-border attacks.
Nkunda is being accused of still following orders from his comrades in Kigali and many see him as a puppet of Rwanda. He says, as a response, that Rwandans are his only allies.
After the latest crisis, the foreign minister of Rwanda flew to Kinshasa and after talks with his congolese counterpart DR Congo agreed to resume the closed operations against the Hutu Rwandan rebels.
Laurent Nkunda has reminded DR Congo that until the hutu rebels are disarmed there will be no peace.
Today rebel delegates has arrived at peace talks in eastern DR Congo. This is the latest stage in the 10 year conflict, will the peace talks be enough to end the horrors thousands of people experience every day?
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– Kajsa, Admin Twende Twende
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Already, General Laurent Nkunda has been told by Joseph Kabila that he should not come to the talks. In this way, when groups have already voiced their disagreements as being irreconcilable, the value of peace talks can be seen as severely limited.
Nevertheless, I fully support the peace talks. There is too much at stake in North Kivu to not try talking it out with all groups concerned. If nothing else, the peace talks will be able to address the problems of other Congolese groups in the region, and provide a platform for isolating the aggression General Nkunda.