DAKAR, Senegal — Angola has declared its intention to act as a mediator in the ongoing conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the M23 rebel group, which is reportedly backed by Rwanda. This was disclosed in a statement from the Angolan president’s office.
Felix Tshisekedi, President of the DRC, recently visited Angola to explore avenues for a potential peace process. The statement outlines Angola’s plan to initiate dialogue with both the Congolese government and the M23 rebels. These talks are anticipated to commence in the upcoming days.
Previously, peace talks facilitated by Angola had been aborted, primarily because they excluded M23 and focused instead on Rwanda, which is accused of supporting the rebels. The decision to engage directly with M23 marks a shift in approach.
M23 is just one of approximately 100 armed factions fighting for control over resource-rich eastern Congo, adjacent to the Rwandan border. This conflict is a critical factor in one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, having displaced over 7 million individuals.
According to United Nations experts, M23 benefits from the support of around 4,000 Rwandan troops, and its leaders have at times threatened to push onward to Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, more than a thousand miles away.
In a rapid three-week campaign, the M23 militants seized Goma, eastern Congo’s principal city, and subsequently captured Bukavu, the nation’s second-largest city, the previous month.
In a related development, the U.N. Human Rights Council established a commission tasked with probing atrocities committed by both sides, which include allegations of rape and what have been described as “summary executions.”
