The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) announced on Sunday that it will send a delegation to Angola on Tuesday for peace talks aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict with Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in the country’s eastern region.
The talks, set to begin in Luanda on March 18, were confirmed by Angola last week. This marks a shift for President Felix Tshisekedi, who had previously rejected dialogue with M23 but is reconsidering his position after a series of military setbacks and diminishing regional support for Congo.
While the presidency has not disclosed the members of the delegation, spokesperson Tina Salama stated that Congo is prepared to engage in negotiations. M23 acknowledged Angola’s invitation, with spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka confirming the receipt of the invite but stopping short of saying whether the group would participate.
The M23 rebels have outlined demands ahead of the talks, including a public commitment from President Tshisekedi to engage in direct negotiations with them.
Angola has taken a lead role in mediating efforts to establish a lasting ceasefire and ease tensions between Congo and neighboring Rwanda, which is accused of supporting the Tutsi-led M23 group—an allegation that Rwanda denies.
The conflict in eastern Congo, which has endured for decades, traces its origins to the aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and the ongoing battle for control of Congo’s rich mineral resources. This year, the situation has worsened, with M23 making significant territorial gains, including capturing two of the largest cities in eastern Congo and several smaller towns.
Since January, at least 7,000 people have been killed in the fighting, and over 600,000 have been displaced since November, according to the UN humanitarian affairs office.
In an effort to create a more favorable environment for the talks, Angolan President Joao Lourenco called for a ceasefire to begin at midnight on Saturday, urging both sides to halt all hostilities, including actions against civilians and the occupation of new positions.
Despite these calls for peace, local reports from Sunday indicated that clashes continued, with fighting reported in the Walikale region. Both Congo and M23 have previously violated ceasefire agreements, heightening skepticism about the effectiveness of the current truce efforts.