Africa
Angola Announces Direct Peace Talks Between DRC and M23 Rebels
Angola, acting as a mediator, has confirmed that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and M23 rebels will engage in direct peace talks to resolve ongoing conflicts.
A statement from the office of Angolan President João Lourenço announced that “peace negotiations” would commence in Luanda, the capital of Angola.
Angola has served as a mediator in the conflict that intensified in eastern Congo at the end of January.
A rapid advance by rebels supported by Rwanda led to the capture of Goma, a key city in eastern Congo. They had also taken control of Bukavu, the region’s second largest city, last month.
Previously, President Felix Tshisekedi of Congo has declined direct engagement with the M23.
The announcement follows a series of canceled peace talks in Angola that had previously left out M23 and instead concentrated on their Rwandan supporters.
Kigali refutes claims of assisting the Tutsi-led rebel group, yet United Nations experts assert that approximately 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda support the M23.
The militant group is among approximately 100 factions competing for control in the mineral-rich eastern region of the DRC.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, displacing over seven million individuals.
