Luanda - The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda are to meet again on September 9 and 10 in Luanda, under Angola mediation, to negotiate a peace agreement for the conflict in the east of the DRC.
According to the final communiqué from the third ministerial meeting, which ended Thursday in Luanda, a meeting of experts will take place beforehand in the Angolan capital on August 29 and 30 to address specific aspects of the agreement proposed by the Angolan President, João Lourenço, as mediator of the process.
The ministerial meeting, which began on Tuesday took place “in a serene and fraternal atmosphere”, with the parties reiterating their commitment to working together to find a lasting solution to the conflict affecting the east of the DRC, the statement said.
Chaired by the Angolan Foreign Affairs minister, Téte António, the meeting brought together the Ministers for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and La Francophonie of the DRC, Théresé Kayikwamba Wagner, and Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Jean Patrick Nduhungirehe.
The third ministerial meeting was organized in the light of the agreements reached on the ceasefire between Rwanda and the DRC, which has been in force since August 4.
The prevailing conflict in the east of the DRC, which has persisted since 2022, involves forces from the M23 rebel movement, allegedly supported by Rwandan government forces.
The attacks, which resumed in December 2023, target civilian populations, as well as human rights violations, including the occupation of several areas in Congolese territory, which is a clear violation of the Luanda and Nairobi Processes, undermining diplomatic efforts and initiatives for peace and stability in this country neighboring Angola. ART/AMP
