Peace talks aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), mediated by Angola, have collapsed at the last minute, Al Jazeera reports, citing the Angolan presidency.
The summit, scheduled for Sunday and expected to bring together Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, was cancelled due to the Rwandan delegation’s refusal to participate.
While the Angolan presidency offered no immediate explanation for the cancellation, the DRC presidency cited the Rwandan delegation’s non-participation as the cause. Rwanda’s foreign ministry attributed the failure to a lack of consensus on direct talks between the DRC government and the M23 rebel group, a key sticking point in the negotiations. These talks had generated hope for an agreement to end the conflict in eastern DRC, where the M23, accused by the DRC and the UN of being backed by Rwanda, has seized significant territory, displacing millions and creating a major humanitarian crisis.
The collapse of the talks comes amidst escalating fighting between the DRC army and M23 rebels. The DRC army accused M23 of killing 12 civilians earlier this week in Lubero territory, North Kivu province, an accusation denied by an M23 spokesperson as government propaganda.
The M23 is one of numerous armed groups vying for control in the mineral-rich eastern DRC. The conflict has resulted in over seven million displaced people, creating one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. While Rwanda denies supporting M23, it admitted in February to deploying troops and missile systems in eastern DRC for security reasons, citing a buildup of DRC forces near the border. A UN report alleges that 3,000-4,000 Rwandan Defence Force members are fighting alongside M23.
Despite previous agreements – including a ceasefire signed in July and terms for the disengagement of Rwandan forces agreed upon last month by the foreign ministers of both countries – fighting has persisted. The United States recently expressed grave concern over M23 ceasefire violations.
The failure of the peace talks has left many, including civilians directly affected by the conflict, deeply disappointed.
