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

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.

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

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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

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