Angola announced on Tuesday that talks between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the M23 armed group, which has seized large territories in eastern DRC, will be held in Luanda soon.
“As mediator in the conflict, Angola will contact M23 so that the delegations of DRC and M23 can hold direct negotiations in Luanda in the coming days for a definitive peace,” the Angolan presidency stated after a meeting with DRC President Felix Tshisekedi.
Tshisekedi’s spokesperson, Tina Salama, acknowledged the announcement on X, saying the Congolese government would “wait to see the implementation of this approach of the Angolan mediation.”
The move marks a shift in Tshisekedi’s stance, as he had previously refused to negotiate with M23, which is backed by Rwandan troops. The change comes after he meets with Angolan President João Lourenço to discuss the worsening conflict.
Since January, the major cities of Goma and Bukavu in eastern DRC have fallen under M23’s control amid a renewed insurgency that began in 2021. According to UN experts, the group is supported by around 4,000 Rwandan soldiers.
Kinshasa claims that over 7,000 people have died in this year’s offensive and accuses Rwanda of seeking to exploit the mineral-rich North and South Kivu provinces—an allegation Kigali denies.
