The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Rwanda, Olivier Nduhungirehe confirmed that the talks that were supposed to be held in Luanda between President Paul Kagame and Félix Tshisekedi of the RDC, did not happen because that country refused to hold talks with the M23 movement.

The talks, which were supposed to take place this Sunday, are aimed at de-escalating tensions between the two countries, stemming from long-standing insecurity in Eastern DRC.

Minister Amb. Nduhungirehe told the media that the talks were postponed because the RDC did not honor what it had agreed to hold talks with the M23 group a few days ago.

He said, “The DRC has rejected talks with M23, contrary to what they agreed to a few days ago.”

He pointed out that on November 30, 2024, Angola, as a mediator in this matter, had informed both parties that the RDC agreed to negotiate with the group.

“Yes, we were informed by the mediator on November 30,” he said.

Minister Nduhungirehe recently indicated that three things are needed to solve these problems in Eastern Congo, including political will on the part of the RDC, the eradication of the FDLR terrorist group and the cessation of cooperation with foreign forces and armed groups.

Those discussions were preceded by the delegations of the two countries who met in Luanda consisting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the three countries, who worked on the document of the agreement to be submitted to the heads of their countries.

Rwanda has once again reminded the RDC that talks aimed at peace and ending insecurity in the East of the country, in order to produce results, must include the M23 group, especially as it is the one fighting.

The RDC criticized this and that is what caused the discussions that were expected on December 15, 2024, to be postponed.

Angola, as a mediator in these talks, announced that it did not happen anymore, after the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, had already arrived there.

A meeting between Tshisekedi and Angola’s President João Lourenço was then organized, and Uhuru Kenyatta was invited to bring Congo to the opposition groups in the Nairobi talks.

The armed group of M23, since fighting with the army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the end of 2021, has shown that it wants talks aimed at solving problems that include the persecution of Congolese Tutsis.

The government of the DRC had agreed to negotiate with M23 and other armed groups operating in the DRC, based on the line given by the heads of state of the East African Community when they met in Nairobi, Kenya in 2022.

Initially, representatives of M23 participated in these talks, but on the second day they were dismissed by President Félix Tshisekedi’s special envoy, Serge Tshibangu, who accused them of resuming fighting.

M23 expressed that it should not be excluded from the Luanda talks, informing the delegates of these countries that the decisions they make will not be considered if they are not represented.