DR Congo: Government to enter peace talks with M23 rebels
Peace talks are set to begin between the rebel group M23 and the DR Congo government in Angola on March 18th.
As reported by France 24 on March 12th, previous rounds of peace talks have failed however the two sides have agreed to come back to the negotiating table.
Angolan President Joao Lourenco talked with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, agreeing to mediate negotiations between the two sides.
The Angolan President released a statement saying that: “Following the steps taken by the Angolan mediation…delegations from the Democratic Republic of Congo and the M23 will begin direct peace talks on March 18 in the city of Luanda.”
The agreement is a positive development in what has been a bloody and at times seemingly irresolvable conflict.
Congolese president Tshisekedi has refused to enter into negotiations with M23 up until this point.
M23 have welcomed the negotiations, with their leader Bertrand Bisimwa taking to X to write that this is: “The only civilised option to resolve the current crisis.”
Rights groups are desperate for an agreement to be reached and for the fighting to stop.
As Maghrebi reported on February 23rd, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution calling for “an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the DR Congo”.
M23 have been advancing across DR Congo and it is reported that they have killed more than 7,000 since they began moving eastwards earlier this year.
Neighbouring Rwanda has been accused of arming the rebel group as a UN experts’ report revealed that Rwanda has around 4,000 troops stationed in the east of the country.
Rwanda denies the accusation that they have provided M23 with military assistance.
However they do not deny stationing soldiers in the east of the country as they maintain their control of rich mineral supplies in the east of the country.
Whether the presence of Rwandan soldiers will be resolved in the negotiations remains unclear and M23 will be reluctant to lose support in the east of the country.
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