DRC Peace Talks Takes New Turn After Uhuru Faces Setbacks

A Collage of Angolan President João Lourenço and former president Uhuru Kenyatta
A Collage of Angolan President João Lourenço and former president Uhuru Kenyatta
File

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) peace talks took a new turn after the African Union Champion of Peace and Reconciliation and Angolan President João Lourenço assumed the mediation process. 

According to a statement by Angolan media, President João Lourenço will host a summit this Wednesday, November 23, to find a solution to the crisis. 

Initially, the talks were scheduled for Monday, November 21, in Nairobi, with former President Uhuru Kenyatta leading the process

However, the Nairobi talks did not occur as expected.

President William Ruto and President Félix Tshisekedi
President William Ruto meeting with DRC President Félix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa, DRC on Monday, November 21, 2022.
PSCU

Instead, President William Ruto took a one-day trip to the DRC, where he met President Félix Tshisekedi on Monday, November 21, and pledged Kenya's support to the peace mission.

The summit is now expected to consider ways of overcoming the crisis between Rwanda and the DRC, generated by the resurgence of the M23 armed rebellion in eastern Congo.

DRC's government has on several occasions accused the Rwandan government of facilitating the M23, an accusation President Paul Kagame denied. 

Kagame and his DRC counterpart were expected to attend the Wednesday summit to de-escalate tensions.

President Lourenço will use the summit in Angola to urge the leaders to approve the Action Plan for Peace in the DRC and the resumption of good relations with Rwanda.

Uhuru and President Évariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, the current chair of the East African Community (EAC), will also be in attendance. 

The meeting will merge the Nairobi Process with the Luanda Roadmap after EAC leaders agreed that the subjects for discussion were related. 

During his visit to the DRC, former president Kenyatta complained about the humanitarian situation in the Eastern Congo region and called on both parties to come to the negotiation table.

The displacement of residents and destruction of homes, Uhuru stated, hampered his role as a special peace envoy. 

ore than 260,000 people have been displaced since the war broke out in March 2022. 

Former President William Ruto meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame
Former President William Ruto meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame
File
  • . .