Rebels from the M23 movement have sent a delegation to the Angolan capital of Luanda to start direct negotiations with the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the M23 and the Congo River Alliance spokesman, Lawrence Kanyuka, said on Monday.
"The Congo River Alliance (AFC/M23) informs the public that on Monday, March 17, 2025, a five-member delegation will travel to Luanda, the capital of Angola, to participate in a direct dialogue [with the DRC authorities] at the request of the Angolan authorities," Kanyuka said on X.
The M23 movement expresses gratitude to Angolan President Joao Lourenco for "tireless efforts to peacefully resolve the ongoing conflict in the DRC," the spokesman added.
After the failure of mediation efforts under the auspices of Angola, the M23 rebel movement resumed its offensive in the DRC, seizing large parts of the country's east. The DRC government has accused Rwanda of supporting the rebels and urged it to withdraw its troops from the country. Rwanda has denied the accusations. In late January, the M23 captured Goma, the capital of the eastern DRC province of North Kivu, and in mid-February, the rebels entered Bukavu, the capital of the South Kivu province.