The proposal was put forward by Angola's President, João Lourenço, in his role as Chairperson of the African Union, who indicated that the ceasefire should take effect on February 18, 2026, ahead of peace talks involving Congolese stakeholders.
On February 12, Amb. Nduhungirehe recalled that in 2024, ceasefires were announced twice, and in 2025, six peace or ceasefire agreements were signed yet the DRC government failed to implement any of them.
"We can stack peace agreements or ceasefire declarations endlessly, but as long as Kinshasa shows no political will to stop its air and artillery attacks, as long as President Tshisekedi remains fixated on impossible military solution, and as long as the international community continues to turn a blind eye to Kinshasa's actions, which violate all these agreements, it will be in vain." he shared on X.
Angola's call for a ceasefire followed a visit by DRC President Félix Tshisekedi on February 9, 2026, during which he met with AU mediator Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé and Olusegun Obasanjo, a mediator appointed by both the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The mediators emphasized the need to focus on African Union-led talks that include Congolese parties, stating that such dialogue is the only way to address the root causes of the DRC's ongoing crisis.
IGIHE
