Key points:
- Angola facilitates potential DRC-M23 peace talks
- Tshisekedi signals openness to Angola-led mediation
- Regional and international forums to address crisis
ANGOLA is stepping up its diplomatic efforts to resolve the escalating conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as President João Lourenço works to bring Kinshasa and the M23 rebel group to the negotiating table.
Following high-level talks between President Lourenço and his Congolese counterpart, President Félix Tshisekedi, Angola has announced plans to host direct negotiations in Luanda aimed at securing a lasting ceasefire.
A shift toward direct dialogue
For over a year, Kinshasa has firmly rejected direct negotiations with the M23, instead blaming neighbouring Rwanda for backing the rebel group. Tshisekedi has long argued that any meaningful dialogue should be with Kigali, which he described as the ‘master’ behind M23 during remarks in February.
However, after the latest bilateral meeting in Luanda on Tuesday, Angola’s presidency confirmed it will ‘establish contacts with the M23, so that delegations of the DRC and M23 conduct direct negotiations in Luanda in the coming days.’
The Congolese government is now signalling a cautious openness to this Angolan-led initiative. Presidential spokesperson Tina Salama noted that Kinshasa is ‘taking note’ of the proposal and awaiting the ‘implementation of this Angolan approach.’
Background to the crisis
The conflict in eastern Congo has intensified in recent months, with M23 rebels capturing key cities and provincial capitals in North and South Kivu. The latest rebel advances have further destabilised a region already fraught with violence linked to control over Congo’s vast mineral resources.
M23’s resurgence is part of a long-running crisis rooted in ethnic tensions and regional rivalries, many of which trace back to the aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide. Rwanda denies supporting M23, insisting its forces act in self-defence against hostile militias operating in Congo.
Regional and global focus on the DRC crisis
The Angolan mediation effort comes ahead of several critical regional and international meetings on the conflict. On Wednesday, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is holding a summit focused on the DRC crisis. The situation is also on the agenda for the EU-South Africa summit in Cape Town on March 13.
Additionally, the United Nations Security Council is scheduled to convene on April 4 for a dedicated session on the eastern Congo conflict.
Tina Salama emphasised that any talks with M23 would need to align with existing frameworks, including the Nairobi process, which has sought to address regional security issues through multilateral dialogue.
Angola’s role as regional mediator
President Lourenço has emerged as a key mediator in efforts to de-escalate tensions between the DRC and Rwanda. Angola has repeatedly hosted ceasefire discussions and remains one of the few regional powers with diplomatic leverage over both Kinshasa and Kigali.
The proposed direct talks in Luanda represent Angola’s latest attempt to broker peace in a region where previous interventions have failed to stop the fighting.
What happens next?
Despite Angola’s push, analysts caution that negotiations may be difficult. Tshisekedi’s government remains wary of legitimising M23 through direct talks, and trust is in short supply on all sides.
Nonetheless, Angola’s diplomatic intervention offers a potential pathway to de-escalation—if the parties are willing to engage in good faith.
As regional forums convene and global powers take note, the coming weeks will be critical in determining whether diplomacy can break the deadlock in eastern Congo.
