On Monday, Rwanda-backed M23 rebels announced their withdrawal from peace
talks with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, just a day
before the two sides were set to meet in Angola. M23’s abrupt exit from
the negotiations follows the EU’s imposition of sanctions on the
group’s leadership and Rwandan military officials. These punitive [...]
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M23 Pulls Out Of Peace Talks With DRCOn Monday, Rwanda-backed M23 rebels announced their withdrawal from peace talks with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, just a day before the two sides were set to meet in Angola.
M23’s abrupt exit from the negotiations follows the EU’s imposition of sanctions on the group’s leadership and Rwandan military officials. These punitive measures, critics argue, don’t signal a genuine shift in policy – rather, they are a simple slap on the wrist, and won’t force Kigali to back down.
True to form, M23 has responded by playing the victim. On X, its spokesperson accused ‘certain international bodies’ of intentionally undermining peace initiatives in DRC and thereby, allegedly, rendering meaningful dialogue impossible. Did M23 ever intend to negotiate in good faith? It is a Rwandan tool and, like Kigali itself, thrives on conflict and looted resources.
Kinshasa seems to have called M23’s bluff, as a delegation from Congo is currently in Luanda for the scheduled talks. A spokesperson for Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi told Reuters that Kinshasa “affirms participation at the invitation of the mediators.”
But make no mistake – this is not a war against a mere rebel group. The DRC is under attack from a powerful proxy that serves as the Rwandan state’s smokescreen while it loots Congolese resources. DRC’s 30-year resource war has involved some 120 militia groups, many foreign-backed, vying for control of the country’s $24 trillion mineral wealth.
Since January 2025, M23 has seized Goma and Bukavu, the two largest cities in eastern DRC, killing over 7,000 (according to Congo’s PM) and displacing over 700,000 (according to the UN). The UN has accused Rwanda of supplying arms and deploying troops to support the M23.
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M23 Pulls Out Of Peace Talks With DRC appeared first on
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