The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the M23 rebel group will hold direct peace talks on March 18 in the Angolan capital, Luanda, Angola announced on Wednesday.
A statement from the office of Angolan President João Lourenço confirmed the development, marking a significant shift in the long-standing conflict in eastern DRC. Angola has been mediating efforts to resolve the crisis, which escalated in late January.
The M23, a Tutsi-led rebel group backed by Rwanda, launched a rapid offensive earlier this year, capturing the strategic eastern city of Goma. Last month, they also seized Bukavu, the second-largest city in the region.
DRC President Félix Tshisekedi had previously refused to engage directly with M23, opting instead for negotiations that focused on their alleged Rwandan sponsors. Kigali has consistently denied any involvement, but United Nations experts estimate that around 4,000 Rwandan troops have supported M23.
The upcoming talks signal a change in approach, as previous peace efforts in Angola failed due to the exclusion of M23 from negotiations.
M23 is one of about 100 armed groups operating in the mineral-rich eastern DRC, where competition for control of resources has fueled decades of violence. The conflict has triggered one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, with over seven million people displaced.
Observers hope the talks in Luanda will lead to a lasting peace agreement, though skepticism remains high given the repeated breakdown of past negotiations.