M23 rebels issue demands ahead of direct talks with Kinshasa
Members of the M23 rebel group supervise the exit of mercenary troops in the streets of Goma amid conflict between them and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo on January 29, 2025.
Congolese rebels M23 say they will send a delegation to Luanda, Angola for talks with the government of President Felix Tshisekedi, even though they warned they could pull a plug if Kinshasa does not clarify its attendance.
The Congo River Alliance (to which the M23 belongs) said it had sent a five-member delegation to Luanda on Monday to take part in the talks with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government slated for Tuesday.
“The Congo River Alliance (AFC/M23) informs the public that it is sending a five-person delegation to Luanda, the capital of Angola this Monday, March 17, 2025, to participate in direct dialogue at the request of Angolan authorities.
“AFC/M23 reiterates its deepest gratitude to His Excellency Joao Lourenco, the President of the Republic of Angola, for his tireless efforts towards a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict in DRC,” the statement read.
The Luanda talks are expected to usher in peace and end a war that has claimed thousands and displaced millions of people since the start of the year. Both sides have now indicated they will attend.
The DRC presidency said on Sunday it was ready to participate, but did not say whether the delegation would include President Tshisekedi.
Tina Salama, a spokesperson for the presidency, said the head of the delegation had not yet been decided, but confirmed that Kinshasa would be represented.
The M23 said it could withdraw from talks if the Congolese government remained vague about direct talks.
“In this context, AFC/M23 considers it essential for the Angolan mediation team to get clear answers to the following concerns: Mr Tshisekedi to publicly and unequivocally express his commitment to direct negotiations with our organisation.”
The group also wants Luanda to provide a clear set of terms of reference as well as commitment to implement decisions of a joint summit of East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which among other things had named a tripartite team of facilitators to replace President Lourenco as mediator.
Kinshasa had previously labelled M23 as terrorist movement and refused to engage directly. However, it has suffered a series of military losses.
Ahead of the talks, President Lourenco called for a ceasefire from midnight on Sunday.
This will mark the first meeting between M23 rebels and the DRC government in three years.
Previous rounds of Angola-brokered peace talks have failed to end fighting between the Congolese army and the M23, largely because the M23 were not part of the negotiations.
