Angola has officially stepped down from its role as mediator in the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In a statement released this morning, the Angolan government announced that after four years of facilitating dialogue, it has helped the parties involved make “significant progress.” However, the mediation process has faced repeated setbacks due to the absence of key participants, such as the M23 rebel group, which failed to attend scheduled meetings with the DRC government in December 2024 and March 2025.
“The most recent talks were canceled due to various challenges within Africa and beyond,” the statement read.
Angolan President João Lourenço, who has been leading these efforts, recently announced his decision to step back from the mediation role as he prepares to assume his new responsibilities as the Chairperson of the African Union for 2025.
Despite stepping away from direct mediation, Angola expressed support for continued dialogue between DRC and Rwanda, emphasizing that Congo should also engage in direct negotiations with M23.
The African Union is expected to appoint another head of state to take over Angola’s mediation efforts.
This decision comes amid ongoing diplomatic initiatives, including last week’s high-profile meeting between Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his Congolese counterpart, Félix Tshisekedi, in Doha, Qatar. The talks, facilitated by Qatar’s Emir, focused on resolving the security crisis in eastern Congo.
Following these discussions, M23 expressed its willingness to negotiate with the DRC government and withdrew from Walikale, a town it had recently seized. In response, the Congolese government announced a halt to military offensives against M23, citing the progress made in Qatar. Both Rwanda and Qatar welcomed this development as a positive step toward peace.
