It has emerged that a major meeting between AFC/M23 rebels and Kinshasa government did not take place as scheduled on Tuesday in Luanda, Angola.
The Angolan Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in an official statement, that the meeting failed to take place citing “force majeure circumstances.”
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“The Government of the Republic of Angola, as Mediator, continues to make every effort to ensure the meeting takes place on time, reaffirming that dialogue is the only lasting solution for peace in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo,” the note published Tuesday stated.
The talks, organized under the auspices of Angola, were supposed to mark a new stage in the search for a political solution to the conflict shaking eastern DRC.
However, the AFC/M23, a politico-military movement, refused to travel to the Angolan capital.
The rebels attributed their refusal to travel to Luanda due to: the sanctions imposed by the European Union against several of its leaders, which the rebel group considers an obstacle to dialogue.
For its part, the Congolese delegation did indeed make the trip, confirming its commitment to this process.
“The Congolese government arrived in Luanda as planned,” a source within the Congolese and Angolan presidencies said.
This postponement comes as the situation remains tense in eastern DRC, where fighting continues between the FARDC and the AFC/M23 rebels, despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.
It remains to be seen whether the efforts of the Angolan mediator will be enough to quickly restart discussions, as diplomatic pressure for a lasting de-escalation in the region intensifies.