Angola’s President Joao Lourenco called for the “immediate withdrawal” of Rwandan troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Wednesday, as tensions escalate in the region. Lourenco also urged for the leaders of Rwanda and the DRC to convene an urgent summit in Luanda to address the ongoing conflict.

In a statement, Lourenco, who serves as the African Union-appointed mediator between Kigali and Kinshasa, emphasized the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities and called for the withdrawal of the M23 armed group, which has taken control of Goma, the regional capital of eastern DRC.

International observers accuse Rwanda of supporting the M23, a claim that Rwanda denies. Lourenco condemned the occupation of Goma, urging the withdrawal of M23 forces from the territories they have occupied illegally.

Lourenco further stressed the importance of resuming discussions within the Nairobi Process framework to address the broader issue of armed groups operating in eastern DRC.

The Kenyan mediation efforts continue to run parallel to Angola's initiative. Lourenco also called for the creation of conditions that would allow for the convening of a tripartite summit between the leaders of DRC, Rwanda, and Angola.

A similar summit planned for mid-December collapsed when Rwandan President Paul Kagame failed to attend, leaving Lourenco to meet with DRC President Felix Tshisekedi alone. The Congolese presidency has stated that talks have reached a deadlock, particularly due to Rwanda’s demand for direct dialogue between the DRC and the M23, a group primarily made up of ethnic Tutsis.

As tensions remain high, the DRC has also announced that President Tshisekedi will not attend the crisis talks scheduled for Wednesday with President Kagame.

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