A meeting between Democratic Republic of Congo’s president Félix Tshisekedi and the Congo River Alliance (AFC) and M23 rebels leader Corneille Nangaa could finally take off in the next few days.
As rebel movements continues to advance rapidly, Tshisekedi has finally ended his reluctance to dialogue and agreed to meet the AFC/M23 via the Luanda Peace Process.
This also comes just four days after the Ministry of Justice announced that it was offering a US$5 million bounty to anyone who leads to the arrest of Nangaa and the rest of the AFC/23 leaders.
A statement issued by mediator and Angolan president João Lourenço states that: “Following the brief working visit of His Excellency Félix Tshisekedi to Luanda, the Angolan party, as mediator in the conflict affecting the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, will establish contacts with the M23, so that the delegations of the DRC and the M23 conduct direct negotiations in Luanda in the coming days, with a view to negotiating a definitive peace in this brother country.”
The Angolan president’s statement explains that the approach was initiated unilaterally by Félix Tshisekedi during a “brief” trip to request local authorities to establish contact with the M23 to begin direct discussions in the Angolan capital.
