Deadlock in negotiations delays peace talks over eastern DR Congo

(MENAFN) A peace summit scheduled for Sunday to address the ongoing conflicts in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was abruptly called off due to a deadlock in negotiations. The summit was intended to bring together Angolan President João Lourenço, DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in a bid to ease tensions in the region. The three leaders were supposed to sign an agreement aimed at resolving the crisis, which has seen ongoing clashes between government forces and rebels in eastern DRC.

The summit was part of the "Luanda Process," a peace initiative launched in 2022 and supported by the African Union, designed to promote regional stability. Tshisekedi had arrived in Luanda, Angola, early Sunday for the event and met with Lourenço and former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, the broker of a parallel peace initiative, the "Nairobi Process," led by the East African Community (EAC).

However, Kagame did not board the flight to Luanda and withdrew from the summit, leaving the peace talks in disarray. Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio later explained that the agreement had been 99 percent negotiated but stated that one of the parties had requested a postponement until a consensus could be reached.

The failure to finalize the peace talks highlights the continuing challenges in resolving the conflict in eastern DRC, where violence and tensions have only escalated despite various regional diplomatic efforts.

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