Democratic Republic of Congo's top opposition leaders arrived in South Africa to discuss cooperation before the upcoming DRC election.
President Felix Tshisekedi is running for a second term in the coming elections in the war-torn country.
Envoys representing five key opposition figures in the forthcoming election gathered in South Africa's administrative capital, Pretoria, on Monday for negotiations.
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Moise Katumbi, a wealthy businessman and former governor of ex-Katanga province, sent envoys, as did ex-presidential candidate Martin Fayulu, former prime minister Augustin Matata Ponyo, MP Delly Sesanga, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Denis Mukwege.
"A joint candidature would be desirable to avoid dispersing the opposition's votes," stated one unnamed participant in the talks.
However, another attendee stated that the discussions were centered on developing a "common mechanism to avoid fraud" in the election.
"We're not shying away from the debate on a common candidature, but what we need above all is the truth at the ballot box," he said.
The Pretoria talks, which may run until Thursday, are organized by the South African NGO In Transformation Initiative (ITI).
"They want to start a process where they can talk and see how they can collaborate," said Ivor Jenkins, managing director of ITI.
"The main focus is how can the DRC become a stronger democracy, with a multi-party environment, to have free and fair elections."
A total of 26 candidates are competing in the DRC's presidential election, which is being held concurrently with legislative, provincial, and municipal elections.
Katumbi, Fayulu, Ponyo, and Sesanga are experienced politicians among the contenders who gathered in Pretoria.
Denis Mukwege, a Nobel Prize-winning surgical gynecologist with no formal political experience, launched his candidature in October.
