Angola presidency announces DRC, M23 peace talks to be held ‘in the next few days’

The office of Angola’s presidency Tuesday announced that the southern African nation will “in the next few days” be hosting peace talks between the Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels who have wreaked havoc in the Central African nation’s eastern region.

The announcement came after Angola’s President João Lourenço welcomed his Congolese counterpart, President Felix Tshisekedi, to Luanda for diplomatic talks.

“The Angolan side, as a mediator in the conflict affecting the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, will establish contacts with the M23, so that delegations from the DRC and the M23 carry out direct negotiations to take place in Luanda in the next few days, with a view of negotiating definitive peace in that brother country,” Angola’s presidency said through a statement published on Facebook.

Tshisekedi’s spokesperson, Tina Salama, took to social media to announce that the DRC takes is taking note of Angola’s approach to the ceasefire talks.

“We also recall that there is a pre-established framework which is the Nairobi process, and we reaffirm our commitment to Resolution 2773,” Salama said.

Previous attempts to hold peace talks by African leaders through both Nairobi and Luanda stalled after Tshisekedi refused to engage in dialogue with the M23 and called the rebel group “terrorists.”

Credit: VOA