António, who is visiting as a special envoy of Angola's President João Lourenço, appointed by the African Union to mediate between Rwanda and the DRC, will hold talks with Rwandan officials.
Rwanda's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe, confirmed the visit, stating, 'He will arrive in the afternoon as a special envoy for the Luanda Dialogue mediator, President Lourenço of Angola.'
The visit follows the postponement of a meeting initially scheduled for December 15, 2024, in Luanda, which was set to bring together President Lourenço, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, and DRC President Félix Tshisekedi.
This decision came after DRC representatives at the ministerial level refused to engage in dialogue with the M23 armed group, despite previous commitments under the 'Nairobi Process' led by former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.
During his Kigali visit, Minister António is expected to discuss resolving the tensions between Rwanda and the DRC through the ongoing Luanda Dialogue mediated by President Lourenço since 2022.
In a statement earlier this week, President Lourenço expressed optimism that a summit in Luanda with Presidents Kagame and Tshisekedi would eventually lead to a lasting peace agreement.
However, the DRC's withdrawal from the planned discussions has undermined previous progress, including agreements to dismantle the FDLR armed group and to lift border restrictions imposed by Rwanda.
Angola remains committed to mediating peace efforts in eastern DRC and the broader region, despite challenges. Minister António noted that substantial agreement had been reached, with 99% of the framework for peace finalized, but a last-minute request for postponement stalled the process.
Nduhungirehe highlighted that Angola had informed Rwanda on November 30, 2024, that DRC had agreed to negotiate with M23 under the Nairobi Process, only for DRC to backtrack later.
President Lourenço has since engaged Tshisekedi and Uhuru Kenyatta in further discussions on how to advance talks between the DRC government and armed groups, particularly the M23.
Angola continues to urge all parties to prioritize the well-being of citizens and work toward a lasting resolution to the conflict that has plagued eastern DRC for over three decades.
The DRC government has reiterated its refusal to negotiate with the M23, labeling the group as a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, M23 insists that resolutions impacting them are invalid without their direct involvement in the discussions.
IGIHE
