Luanda mini-summit agrees on ceasefire in conflict-torn eastern DRC from Friday – The North Africa Post

A mini-summit in Luanda has ended with an agreement for an “immediate ceasefire” from 6pm this Friday in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Angolan Minister of Foreign Affairs announced.

During the mini-summit in Angola’s capital city, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi met with Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta, in the absence of President Paul Kagame, to try to end the recent tensions in eastern DRC after the failure of a ceasefire agreement reached in July. The parties also agreed to demand “the immediate withdrawal of the M23 rebels from the occupied areas,” said Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio at the end of the meeting.

The delegations were received by Angolan President and African Union-appointed mediator Joao Lourenço.

Since 1994, violence from armed groups has plagued the eastern DRC region for almost 30 years. Many of these groups inherited from wars in the region that killed thousands of people. Kinshasa has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels. This is something that both UN experts and US officials have pointed out in recent months. Kenya’s former leader Uhuru Kenyatta, the East African Community’s facilitator, has been attempting to mediate over recent weeks, saying Rwandan President Paul Kagame is ready to encourage the militia to cease fire and pull back from captured territory.