DRC: Thisekedi-Lourenço meeting on the situation in North Kivu

2/28/2024, 6:03:01 AM

Highlights: The situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo was at the heart of a meeting, in Luanda, between President Félix Thisekedi and his English counterpart, João Lourenço. This meeting follows the mini-summit organized on February 18, on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. The two presidents did not make a statement following their meeting. Only the Angolan Minister of Foreign Affairs spoke in the name of mediation.

The situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo was at the heart of a meeting, in Luanda, between President Félix Thisekedi and his English counterpart, João Lourenço, mediator in this crisis.…

DRC: Thisekedi-Lourenço meeting on the situation in North Kivu

This meeting follows the mini-summit organized on February 18, on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia: objective of establishing a dialogue between the Congolese and Rwandan presidents to achieve a de-escalation of the conflict in the North -Kivu.

Malawian soldiers from the SADC military mission in the DRC came to recover the bodies of South African soldiers killed during clashes between the Congolese army and the M23.

REUTERS - ARLETTE BASHIZI

By: RFI Follow

It was as a delegation that the Congolese president went to Luanda accompanied by several of his ministers: the head of diplomacy Christophe Lutundula, the Minister of Defense, Jean-Pierre Bemba, and that of Regional Integration Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi.

Jean-Pierre Bemba, Minister of Defense, and General Christian Tshiwewe, Chief of General Staff of the army, went to the province of North Kivu in mid-February, a visit to visit take into account the evolution of the situation on the ground where the fighting has further intensified.

Read alsoDRC: additional equipment and battalions sent as reinforcements to North Kivu

The tête-à-tête between

Félix Tshisekedi

and

João Lourenço

lasted three hours, in a “friendly” atmosphere, according to the Congolese side.

The two presidents did not make a statement following their meeting.

Only the Angolan Minister of Foreign Affairs spoke in the name of mediation: according to Tete Antonio, the Congolese head of state gave his agreement in principle for a meeting with his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame.

On the side of the Congolese presidency, we nevertheless recall that conditions have already been set by Kinshasa before any meeting: immediate withdrawal of Rwandan military troops from Congolese territory, cessation of hostilities and cantonment of the M23.

Read alsoDRC: the director of the North Kivu intelligence agency and two deputies arrested for alleged complicity with the M23

Next step for mediation: meeting Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

Read alsoEnd of the SADC summit: few details on the deployment of a future military force in the DRC