DRC: Rwanda’s Authorities Refuses to Hold Peace Talks with Congolese Presdente
Military forces of Rwanda , Photo: AFP
December 15, 2024 Hour: 1:23 pm
The leaders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Angola are holding private talks before expanding the meeting to their respective delegations. This comes after Rwanda’s refusal to participate in a high-level summit on the peace process in eastern DRC, which led to the suspension of the planned tripartite meeting this Sunday in Angola, according to information released today by the Congolese Presidency.
According to a statement published on social media platform X, DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and his Angolan counterpart João Lourenço are having “individual conversations before broadening the meeting to their respective delegations.”
The text suggests that this summit could be key to ending hostilities in eastern DRC, particularly regarding the withdrawal of Rwandan troops from Congolese territories.
During a recent meeting between the foreign ministers of the three involved nations, Rwanda conditioned its signing of the agreement on a direct dialogue between the DRC and members of the March 23 Movement (M23), a proposal that was rejected by the Congolese side.
The summit would also represent the first meeting between Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame since several diplomatic dialogues began.
On July 30, both countries signed a ceasefire agreement in Luanda between the Armed Forces of the DRC and M23, which came into effect on August 4. However, following this agreement, clashes resumed, especially in North Kivu province.
Since 1998, eastern DRC has been embroiled in conflict fueled by rebel militias and the national army, despite the presence of peacekeeping missions such as MONUSCO (United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo) and SAMIDRC (Southern African Development Community).
The situation remains tense and complex, with hopes pinned on these discussions to move towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
Autor: OSG
Fuente: EFE-Africanews
