DRC government to have direct talks with M23 rebels

Zimpapers Politics Hub

The Government of Angola on Tuesday announced that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has agreed to have direct talks with the M23 rebels to bring peace to the vast African country.

This marks a shift from previous peace talks which excluded M23 and instead focused on Rwanda’s role in the conflict.

In a statement released by the Angolan President’s office on Tuesday, Angola said it will act as a mediator in the ongoing conflict between the DRC and M23 rebel group.

“Following the brief working visit of His Excellency Félix Tshisekedi to Luanda, the Angolan side, in its capacity as mediator in the conflict affecting eastern DRC, will establish contacts with the M23 so that delegations from the DRC and the M23 can hold direct talks in the coming days in Luanda, with a view to negotiating a definitive peace in this sister country,” reads the statement issued after the Congolese president’s visit.

DRC President was in Angola on Tuesday where he met his Angolan counterpart, Joao Lourenco, to explore the possibility of a peace process.

The Luanda government confirmed that it had begun establishing contact with both Kinshasa and M23 rebels, with direct negotiations set to take place in the coming days.

M23 is one of the over 100 armed groups operating in mineral-rich eastern DRC where conflict has resulted in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, internally displacing more than 7 million people.

The news of the planned direct talks between the DRC government and the M23 rebels comes as good news ahead of the ongoing Sadc Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government that is scheduled to start on Thursday.

M23 recently seized control of Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC, and captured Bukavu, the second capital of that eastern part of the country.