Angolan President João Lourenço is expected in Kinshasa this Monday for discussions with his Congolese counterpart, Félix Tshisekedi, regarding the implementation of the ceasefire signed between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda in Luanda, according to sources from ACTUALITE.CD. The Angolan president is then expected to travel to Kigali to meet Paul Kagame.
The trip comes five days after a meeting of Congolese and Rwandan intelligence experts in Luanda. The main objective of the meeting was to discuss the Mediator’s plan to neutralize the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and to reach an agreement on a harmonized plan. The experts have until August 15, 2024 to submit their recommendations to the next Ministerial Meeting, scheduled for later this month.
President Lourenço had already held telephone discussions on 1 August 2024 with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, focusing on the ceasefire agreement recently reached in Luanda. This agreement, signed during talks between ministerial delegations from the DRC and Rwanda, had been facilitated by Angolan mediation. The day before, João Lourenço had also spoken with Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi to address the same issues.
The ceasefire, which represents a significant breakthrough in the long-running conflict in eastern DRC, came into effect at midnight on Sunday, August 4. President Tshisekedi had previously criticized Kenyan President William Ruto’s handling of the Nairobi process, saying the latter had sided with Rwanda.
João Lourenço’s mediation efforts have been welcomed by the international community. After Belgium, France, the European Union and MONUSCO, the United Kingdom and the United States have also expressed their satisfaction with the ceasefire agreement between the DRC, Rwanda and Angola. The White House welcomed Lourenço’s mediation efforts and urged all parties to respect human rights and international humanitarian law obligations.
