This announcement follows a brief visit by DRC President Félix Tshisekedi to Luanda on March 11, 2025, to discuss the possibility of negotiations.
Angola, which has been acting as the official mediator in the conflict, confirmed that it will first hold preliminary consultations with M23 representatives to organize a delegation for the talks with the Kinshasa government.
The upcoming discussions mark the first formal dialogue between the two sides after months of escalating violence in eastern Congo.
The conflict intensified in late January when the rebels advanced and seized control of the strategic city of Goma. Last month, they also captured Bukavu, eastern Congo's second-largest city.
Despite the rebel group's territorial gains, the DRC government had previously refused to engage with M23, maintaining a hardline stance against direct negotiations.
President Tshisekedi has consistently rejected direct engagement with M23. He notably skipped the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Dar es Salaam on February 8, where regional leaders urged the DRC to open talks with the rebels.
The pressure on Tshisekedi to engage in negotiations increased during the African Union (AU) summit on February 15, which he also missed to attend a security conference in Munich, Germany.
The AU summit endorsed earlier resolutions from EAC and SADC, reinforcing calls for direct dialogue with M23 to find a lasting solution to the conflict. While M23 welcomed the proposal, Kinshasa remained opposed until now.
Angola's mediation efforts aim to bridge the gap between the two sides and create a pathway to lasting peace in the conflict-torn eastern provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu.
For its part, M23 has long criticized previous peace processes in Nairobi and Luanda, arguing that decisions were made without their involvement.
The upcoming talks represent a critical opportunity to directly address their grievances and seek a negotiated resolution.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/drc-gov-t-and-m23-rebels-to-hold-peace-talks-on-march-18-in-angola
