A highly anticipated meeting between the presidents of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, scheduled in Angola, has been cancelled, dimming hopes for a peace agreement to address the M23 rebel conflict, which has displaced over 1.9 million people.
The meeting was expected to mark a rare face-to-face dialogue between the two Central African leaders as part of long-standing efforts to ease tensions stemming from the nearly three-year insurgency.
A potential peace deal had raised optimism for a resolution to the crisis, which has destabilized eastern Congo and fuelled fears of a broader conflict in Africa’s volatile Great Lakes region.
The area previously endured two devastating wars between 1996 and 2003, resulting in millions of deaths.
Congo’s government issued a statement blaming Rwanda for the cancellation, accusing its delegation of refusing to participate.
It alleged that Rwanda demanded Congo hold direct negotiations with the M23 rebels as a precondition for signing any peace agreement a demand Congo rejected. Rwanda’s foreign minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, confirmed the postponement but declined to provide further details.
The proposed peace plan required Rwanda to dismantle its so-called “defensive measures” in the conflict, while Congo would eliminate the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Hutu rebel group implicated in attacks on Tutsis.
Tensions remain high, with Congo, the United Nations, and other observers accusing Rwanda of actively supporting the M23 rebellion in North Kivu province by deploying troops and providing arms.
Rwanda denies the allegations, claiming instead that its actions are defensive and accusing Congo of collaborating with FDLR militants to counter M23.
According to U.N. experts, an estimated 3,000–4,000 Rwandan troops are present in Congo, exerting “de facto control” over M23 operations.
The failure to hold the meeting underscores the difficulty of brokering peace in the region, where deep-seated ethnic and political rivalries continue to fuel instability.
Reuters/Patience Ameh
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