By Deutsche Welle (World News) | Created at 2025-03-12 21:51:02 | Updated at 2025-03-13 04:02:22
6 hours ago
The Democratic Republic of Congo's government and the rebel group M23 will meet in Angola for peace talks on March 18. The date was confirmed by Angolan President Joao Lourenco, whose country has been trying to mediate an end to the conflict for months.
Until now, the Congolese government has refused to engage in talks with the rebels. In December, an initial attempt at peace talks collapsed when Rwanda demanded Congo engage with M23 directly. Congolese Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka said that she would only negotiate with Rwanda.
"The fact remains that the aggressor of the territorial integrity and of the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of Congo is Rwanda," she told the BBC.
Suminwa Tuluka claimed that at least 7,000 people have been killed in the last two months, though that number has not been independently verified.
The conflict escalated in January when the M23 group seized the mineral-rich city of Goma in eastern Congo.
Rwanda, which borders Congo to the east, has been accused of backing the rebels. Rwanda continues to deny these allegations.
M23 has been active in eastern Congo since 2012.
In addition to the violence carried out against Congolese people, they have been accused by Human Rights Watch of attacking journalists and media members.
A political-military organization to which M23 belongs denied these accusations, calling them a "blatant attempt to spread false information" and saying the militia "has always upheld press freedom and remains open to both national and international journalists."
Congo conflict: Who are the M23 rebels behind rising unrest?
Edited by: Sean Sinico
