Eastern DRC has been plagued by conflict for the past three years, marked by clashes between a coalition of government forces and the armed M23 rebel group, which controls significant areas of North Kivu Province.
The office of President Lourenço, who serves as the African Union-appointed mediator between Rwanda and the DRC, stated that the conversation between the two leaders took place via phone.
From photos shared on social media, it appears that during the call, President Lourenço was accompanied by members of Angola's foreign affairs and security teams, who had recently represented Angola in the Rwanda-DRC talks held in Luanda on November 25, 2024.
This dialogue followed another discussion President Lourenço held with DRC's Félix Tshisekedi on November 27.
These engagements came shortly after Rwanda, DRC, and Angola's envoys agreed on a roadmap to dismantle the FDLR, a terrorist group operating in the region.
The agreement to dismantle the FDLR is structured into three phases, to be completed within three months.
The first phase involves a thorough 15-day assessment of the FDLR's threat level, pinpointing its bases, and evaluating its arsenal. This stage aims to establish a clear understanding of the group's capabilities and operational reach.
Following this, the second phase will see the launch of coordinated military offensives targeting the FDLR and its affiliates. These operations will be conducted alongside joint evaluations overseen by Angola's security leadership, ensuring a comprehensive and unified approach to neutralizing the group.
The final phase focuses on repatriating FDLR combatants back to Rwanda and reintegrating them into civilian life. Concurrently, efforts will be directed toward mending Rwanda-DRC relations, which have been strained since early 2022. This phase underscores the broader objective of fostering long-term peace and stability in the region.
Rwanda's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, clarified that the M23 issue was not a primary focus of the November 25 talks. He noted that subsequent meetings would address M23-related concerns.
'We agreed to meet again to find solutions to this issue. As a country, we have highlighted three security concerns between Rwanda and the DRC: dismantling the FDLR, lifting our defensive measures, and resolving the M23 matter,' he said.
President Lourenço aims to facilitate direct dialogue between Kagame and Tshisekedi once their countries' ministerial-level envoys finalize actionable solutions to restore peace and security in eastern DRC.
IGIHE
