Angola says DR Congo, M23 to attend talks in Luanda soon
Peace talks have stalled over Tshisekedi's repeated refusal to engage in dialogue with M23 fighters have carried out a lightning offensive in eastern DRC.
Infographic of the east of the DR Congo showing the advances of M23 fighters towards the city of Bukavu, capital of South Kivu province, as of February 4. (Credit: AFP)
AFP .
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LUANDA - Talks between DR Congo and the M23 armed group that has captured swathes of the central African country's volatile east will take place in Luanda soon, the Angolan presidency said Tuesday.
Angola "as mediator in the conflict... 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," it said after a visit by Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi.
Peace talks have stalled over Tshisekedi's repeated refusal to engage in dialogue with M23 fighters have carried out a lightning offensive in eastern DRC.
The U-turn comes after Tshisekedi met Angolan counterpart Joao Lourenco on Tuesday to discuss the conflict.
Since January, the two major cities of eastern DRC -- Goma and Bukavu -- have fallen into the hands of the M23 group, which took up arms again in 2021.
Kinshasa says more than 7,000 people have died in the offensive this year.
Kinshasa accuses neighbouring Rwanda of wanting to exploit the rich mineral resources of the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, but Rwanda denies the charge.