French President Emmanuel Macron will meet with the leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda this week in an effort to push for a swift peace agreement to end the violence in eastern DRC, according to an Elysée Palace source.
Macron is scheduled to host DRC President Félix Tshisekedi on Friday at the Elysée, followed by a meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Saturday during the 19th Francophonie Summit in Paris.
Macron is expected to press both parties to quickly finalize an agreement under the Luanda process, aiming to stop the ongoing conflict in North Kivu. Since November 2021, the M23, a predominantly Tutsi rebel group reportedly supported by Rwanda, has taken control of significant areas in this mineral-rich region, worsening a 30-year cycle of violence. The resurgence of M23 has triggered a severe humanitarian crisis, with nearly 7 million people displaced.
Although the DRC and Rwanda signed a ceasefire in July, facilitated by Angola and backed by the African Union, previous ceasefires and truces have been short-lived, lasting only a few weeks before breaking down.