(The Post News)– A delegation from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is scheduled to travel to Angola this week for peace negotiations with the goal of settling the growing violence in the country’s east. The talks will centre on the continuing conflict between the DRC and the M23 rebel group, which is allegedly backed by Rwanda. They are scheduled to take place in Luanda on Tuesday, March 18.
A spokesperson for the DRC presidency confirmed the country’s participation in the talks on Sunday. While the official did not specify the members of the delegation, the talks represent a shift in President Felix Tshisekedi’s stance. Previously, Tshisekedi had ruled out negotiations with the M23 rebels but has been considering a change in strategy after a series of military setbacks and diminishing regional support for the DRC.
The M23 rebel group, which has made significant territorial gains in eastern DRC, acknowledged receiving the invitation from Angola to join the peace talks. Lawrence Kanyuka, the group’s spokesperson, confirmed the group’s awareness of the talks via social media but did not clarify whether they would attend. As part of their conditions for participating, the M23 rebels have demanded that President Tshisekedi publicly commit to direct negotiations. The group has also made additional demands, further complicating the prospects for a resolution.
In an effort to mediate a durable ceasefire and reduce tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, Angola has actively participated in the war. Although Rwanda disputes supporting the M23 rebels, the war is generally believed to have its origins in the 1994 Rwandan genocide and rivalry for control of mineral-rich DRC territory. The decades-old war in eastern DRC has gotten much more intense in recent months. Over 600,000 people have been displaced by the conflict since November, according to the UN, and the DRC government says at least 7,000 people have perished since the year began.
Angolan President Joao Lourenco called for a truce to start at midnight on Saturday, urging all sides to stop all military operations, particularly those that could endanger civilians, in an effort to improve the atmosphere for the negotiations. Lourenco stressed that stopping the occupation of additional areas must be part of the truce. Hostilities persisted, nevertheless, as fights were recorded in the Walikale district on Sunday in spite of this request. With the DRC government and the M23 rebels accusing one another of violating earlier ceasefire deals, the situation in the eastern DRC is still terrible.
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