Angola has officially announced it will step down from its role as mediator in the conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, following a series of derailed peace efforts and mounting frustration with external interference.
The decision was confirmed in a statement released Monday by the Angolan presidency, which had been leading the African Union-backed mediation process since early 2023.
President João Lourenço had been appointed by the African Union to facilitate peace between the two countries amid the escalating M23 rebel offensive in eastern Congo, widely believed to be backed by Rwanda.
Despite multiple rounds of talks and tentative commitments from both sides, Angola said it will now withdraw from its mediator role, clearing the way for another African state to take over.
“Angola has committed itself with all seriousness, energy, and resources, with the goal of achieving lasting peace in eastern DRC and normalizing relations between the two neighboring countries,” the statement reads.
The presidency highlighted progress achieved in December 2024, when the DRC agreed to neutralize the FDLR militia, and Rwanda pledged to pull its defense forces out of Congolese territory.
These commitments were intended to set the stage for a summit on December 15 in Luanda — a meeting that ultimately failed to take place due to Rwanda’s absence.
Angola also disclosed that it had arranged for direct negotiations between the Congolese government and M23 rebels, with both parties consenting to a first round of talks scheduled for March 18, 2025, in Luanda.
However, the presidency said the process collapsed “at the last moment” due to “a combination of factors, among them external elements and actors outside the African process underway.”
“Angola has always believed in the need for, in parallel, direct negotiations between the Government of the DRC and M23,” the statement continued.
“We had worked to make that possible with the consent of both sides… but the process was aborted in extremis.”
While Angola did not name specific external actors, the wording of the statement underscores growing tensions over international involvement in the crisis, particularly as Rwanda continues to face pressure over its alleged support for M23.
The announcement comes just days after a meeting in Doha between Presidents Paul Kagame and Félix Tshisekedi, and a week after the M23 declared its repositioning from Walikale in support of peace efforts — a move acknowledged by both Kigali and Kinshasa.
With Angola stepping aside, the future of mediation efforts remains uncertain.
The African Union is expected to designate a new facilitator, but observers warn that the loss of Angola — one of the region’s most active and neutral diplomatic voices — could further delay progress toward a political settlement.
