Angola mediates new ceasefire deal in DRC

Angola has mediated a new ceasefire deal in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo that is supposed to come into effect on August 4, 2024.

The ceasefire was announced after a meeting attended by the foreign ministers of the DRC and Rwanda in the Angolan capital of Luanda.

An armed conflict between Congolese forces and the M23 rebels has claimed thousands of lives since late 2021.

The resumption of talks aimed at resolving the conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo comes after months of clashes between government forces and the M23 rebels.

The fighting has claimed thousands of lives and displaced more than 2 million people since last year.

A recent report by UN experts accused Rwandan soldiers of fighting alongside the rebels in eastern DRC.

But Rwanda has denied the accusation.

Angolan President, Joao Lourenco brokered the ceasefire to allow the warring parties to engage in dialogue.

It comes three days before the expiration of another ceasefire brokered by the US government earlier this month.

Security analysts say the armed conflict in eastern DRC has been fuelled by ethnic and geopolitical competition among the DRC, Rwanda and Uganda.

They’ve warned that the violence may widen into a regional conflict if it escalates, given the presence of troops from Burundi, Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa fighting alongside the DRC army against the rebels.