Since late 2021, the M23 rebel group resumed armed struggle, claiming to fight for the rights of Tutsis, Banyamulenge, Hema, and other Kinyarwanda-speaking communities who face persecution, killings, and other abuses due to their ethnicity. However, DRC President Félix Tshisekedi has repeatedly sworn not to engage in talks with M23, describing the group as an "empty shell" and alleging that its fighters are soldiers from a foreign country.
But in a shift of stance, signaling a change of heart, the Angolan Presidency announced on Tuesday, March 10, 2025, that President João Lourenço would mediate negotiations between the DRC government and M23 representatives in the coming days.
The announcement followed President Tshisekedi's visit to Angola, aimed at seeking a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC.
Speaking in an interview with Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA), Mukuralinda emphasized that despite DRC's initial refusal to negotiate with M23, peace talks remain the only viable path to ending the war in eastern Congo, as regional leaders have consistently highlighted.
Mukuralinda noted that Tshisekedi's agreement to engage in talks is an acknowledgment that African-led solutions are the best approach to resolving African conflicts, with external assistance serving only as a complement.
'He is now following the path that regional leaders have long advocated, saying, 'We know this issue, and this is how it should be resolved,'' Mukuralinda said.
He added: 'Another important point is that he has accepted dialogue as the only way to resolve this issue, as regional leadersâ€"including the President of Rwandaâ€"have affirmed that this conflict can only be solved through negotiations, not military action.'
Mukuralinda recalled that previous talks failed to yield the desired results due to a lack of commitment from the DRC government.
'It is time to ensure that these talks are not just for show. And once agreements are reached, there must be mechanisms to monitor their implementation. This is not the first, second, or third time such negotiations are taking place,' he said.
He stressed that the primary objective of the DRC-M23 negotiations should be to end the ongoing conflict in eastern Congo.
A joint session of heads of state from the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in February declared dialogue as the only path to silencing the guns in eastern Congo. It remains to be seen if the talks will achieve their objective.
IGIHE
