Tshisekedi and Kagame to meet in Angola over conflict in eastern DR Congo.

President of Rwanda Paul Kagame left and President of DRCongo Tshisekedi right. Courtesy image.

The leaders of embattled neighbours Rwanda and DR Congo may be poised to meet to discuss fighting in Eastern Congolese regions that Kigali has been accused of enflaming. Fighting between Tutsi M23 rebels and Congolese soldiers has forced more than 100,000 people to flee. There had earlier been rumours that Congolese leader Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame might be amenable to a face to face and on Monday Angola’s foreign minister suggested that there may be progress on that front.

The willingness for dialogue was revealed during Kagame’s visit to Luanda, Angola’s capital, on Monday, where he met with Angolan President Joao Lourenco. Angolan Foreign Affairs Minister Tete Antonio announced the development after the meeting between the two leaders.

According to Antonio, both Rwanda and the DRC have agreed to the principle of holding the meeting, with ministerial delegations from both sides working toward this goal.

Kagame’s trip to Angola follows Tshisekedi’s visit at the end of February, during which it was announced that Tshisekedi had agreed to meet with his Rwandan counterpart.

Lourenco, acting as the mediator appointed by the African Union, has been facilitating the meeting between the two leaders, although specific dates have not yet been mentioned.

The mediation efforts stem from the need to address the recent escalation of conflicts in the Eastern DRC, particularly involving the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels, and to restore relations between the DRC and Rwanda.

The DRC has accused Rwanda of backing M23 rebels, an accusation rejected by Kigali. The rebel group, which resurfaced in late 2021, has triggered conflicts and humanitarian crises and seized major strongholds on Congolese soil.

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