Angola announced on Tuesday that planned peace talks aimed at resolving the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could not take place due to “unforeseen circumstances,” likely referring to the last-minute withdrawal of the M23 rebel group.
Angolan President João Lourenço, appointed by the African Union as a mediator, was set to host negotiations in Luanda between the DRC government and M23, which has captured key eastern cities in a rapid offensive.
Angola’s foreign ministry cited “force majeure” as the reason for the cancellation, but reiterated that it would continue efforts to reschedule the meeting, stressing that “dialogue is the only solution for lasting peace.”
M23 announced late Monday that it would not participate in the talks following European Union sanctions imposed on its senior leaders, including its head, Bertrand Bisimwa.
The group claimed the sanctions, combined with Kinshasa’s “bellicose campaign,” made negotiations impossible.
The EU also sanctioned three Rwandan military commanders and Rwanda’s mining agency chief for allegedly supporting armed groups in the eastern DRC.
A UN report previously claimed that Rwanda controls M23 and has deployed around 4,000 troops to back the rebels, an allegation Kigali denies.
Since January, M23 has taken control of the major cities of Goma and Bukavu, with DRC authorities reporting over 7,000 casualties—though AFP has been unable to verify this figure independently.
The last formal talks between M23 and the Congolese government took place in 2013.
