A peace Summit between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, scheduled for December 15 in Luanda, Angola, collapsed before it began. Mediated by Angolan President João Lourenço, the meeting aimed to ease tensions but failed due to the absence of Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
The Angolan Presidency announced the cancellation, confirmed by a Congolese delegate who noted, “The tripartite will not take place since one party is not there.” Kagame’s absence disrupted the planned discussions.
Rwanda attributed its withdrawal to a deadlock over the DRC’s refusal to negotiate with the M23 armed group. Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe stated the impasse left the summit without “reason to exist.”
The DRC accused Rwanda of bad faith, rejecting talks with the M23 as a red line. Presidential spokesperson Tina Salama insisted, “We will not dialogue with the M23 because the M23 does not exist. It is Rwanda.” She criticized Rwanda’s stance as a major obstacle to peace in eastern Congo, where conflict has displaced millions.
Despite the setback, DRC President Félix Tshisekedi met with Lourenço and former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who oversees the Nairobi peace process. Kagame’s absence, however, left the summit’s main goals unmet.
The collapse underscores mistrust between the DRC and Rwanda. Kinshasa accuses Kigali of backing the M23, which Rwanda denies. This failure complicates regional peace efforts, leaving key issues unresolved and raising doubts about future cooperation.