Angola announces peace negotiations between RDC and the M23 on March 18

Madrid 12 Mar. (Europa Press) –

The Presidency of Angola announced on Wednesday that peace negotiations will be held on March 18 in the capital, Luanda, between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (RDC) and the rebels of the March 23 movement (M23).

“The Government of the Republic of Angola makes public that Delegations of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the M23 will begin direct peace negotiations on March 18 in Luanda,” says a statement from the presidency published on Facebook.

This announcement takes place after the Angolan head of state, Joao Lourenço, received on Tuesday at the presidential palace to his Congolese counterpart, Félix Tshisekedi, who has made a “brief work visit” to the country.

The M23, mainly made up of Congolese Tutsis, has achieved important territorial advances during the last weeks, an offensive that has led RDC to directly accuse Rwanda of deploying troops in its territory to support M23’s operations in the midst of regional calls to a high fire and a peace process.

For their part, the Ruandesa authorities accuse the RDC government of repressing the Congolese tutsis, which are a minority in the east of the African country, with support from armed groups such as the democratic forces for the liberation of Rwanda (FDLR)-founded by Hutus escaped after the genocide in Rwanda in 1994- and other local militias.