The M23 rebel group has abruptly pulled out of scheduled peace talks with the Democratic Republic of Congo’s government, just hours before negotiations were set to begin in Angola. The withdrawal comes in response to fresh European Union sanctions imposed on M23 and Rwandan officials earlier in the day.
The highly anticipated meeting in Luanda would have marked the first direct negotiations between the warring sides in what has become eastern Congo’s worst conflict in decades. However, the rebel alliance, of which M23 is a key member, stated that the newly enacted sanctions made meaningful dialogue impossible.
Tina Salama, spokesperson for Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi, confirmed that the government delegation would still attend the talks. “We confirm our participation at the invitation of the mediators,” she told Reuters.
The conflict, deeply rooted in the aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and the region’s struggle over mineral wealth, has escalated sharply since January. M23 fighters have seized eastern Congo’s two largest cities, resulting in thousands of deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands.
The United Nations and Western governments have accused Rwanda of supplying arms and deploying troops to support M23, an ethnic Tutsi-led militia. Kigali, however, insists its forces are only acting in self-defense against Congo’s military and local militias hostile to Rwanda.
Impact of EU Sanctions
The European Union’s sanctions are among the most expansive measures taken against M23 and Rwanda since the conflict reignited earlier this year. They notably target Rwanda’s mining board and a gold refinery, underscoring accusations that Kigali is profiting from the region’s vast natural resources.
“The EU sanctions … are a recognition that profits from natural resources are one of the main motivations for Rwanda’s involvement in this conflict,” said Zobel Behalal, a senior expert at the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime.
Rwandan officials, the country’s mining board, and the gold refinery in question did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
M23’s political wing, the Congo River Alliance, condemned the sanctions, calling them an obstacle to peace. “Successive sanctions imposed on our members, including those enacted on the eve of the Luanda discussions, severely undermine direct dialogue and make any progress impossible,” the group said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, Rwanda further escalated tensions by severing diplomatic ties with Belgium and ordering Belgian diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours. The move followed Belgium’s push for stronger EU action against Kigali.
With the M23 rebels withdrawing from negotiations and diplomatic tensions rising, hopes for a breakthrough in the Congo conflict appear increasingly uncertain.