On Monday March 24, Angola announced that it would no longer take part in the mediation of the conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, a confrontation that is exacerbating security instability in eastern Congo.
In an official statement, the Angolan presidency underlined the many efforts made by President João Lourenço, appointed by the African Union to lead this mediation. However, several attempts at dialogue have failed, including the summit held on December 15 and the negotiations scheduled for March 18 between Kinshasa and the M23 rebels, which were unsuccessful.
Now at the helm of the African Union, Angola feels it must focus on the overall priorities of the continental organization. “Two months after taking over the current presidency of the African Union, Angola believes that it is time to free itself from the mediation mission in the DRC to focus on the major African issues: peace and security on the continent, infrastructure, intra-African trade, the fight against epidemics, economic and social development, as well as justice and reparations for Africans and Afro-descendants,” says the statement.
This decision represents a setback for peace efforts in eastern Congo. Last February, a joint SADC and EAC summit in Dar es Salaam recommended the unification of the mediation processes led by Luanda and Nairobi.
Three facilitators have been appointed to continue the negotiations: former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe.