Angola withdraws from mediation efforts in DR Congo–Rwanda conflict

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Lagos, Nigeria – Angola has officially announced its withdrawal from the mediation process between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, marking the end of a key diplomatic role undertaken by President João Lourenço on behalf of the African Union (AU).

AfricaHeadline Reports Team
editorial@africaheadline.com 

In a statement released by the Presidency, Angola affirmed that it had committed itself with “seriousness, energy, and resources” to help achieve lasting peace in eastern DRC and normalize relations between the two neighboring countries, following its appointment by the AU as a mediator.

Significant progress was made during high-level talks in December 2024. At the time, the DRC agreed to neutralize the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), while Rwanda pledged to withdraw its Defence Forces from Congolese territory back to the borderlines between the two countries.

However, a summit scheduled to take place in Luanda on 15 December did not materialize due to Rwanda’s absence, despite conditions being, according to the Angolan government, ripe for such a high-level meeting.

Angola also facilitated preliminary agreements for direct negotiations between the DRC government and the M23 rebel group. The first round was set to be held in Luanda on 18 March 2025, but the process was abruptly aborted due to a combination of factors, including external influences that Angola described as “foreign to the African-led process.”

In the statement, Angola welcomed support from the United Nations, other international bodies, and countries of goodwill, provided such efforts are coordinated with the designated mediators, the AU Peace and Security Council, and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

Nearly two months after assuming the rotating chairmanship of the African Union, Angola now says it must relinquish its role as mediator in order to focus on broader continental priorities. These include peace and security across Africa, infrastructure development, continental free trade, the fight against diseases, social and economic development, and the pursuit of justice and reparations for Africans and people of African descent.

In coordination with the AU Commission, Angola stated that steps will be taken in the coming days to identify another country—whose head of state, alongside the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the East African Community (EAC), and other facilitators—will assume responsibility for leading mediation efforts in the DRC–Rwanda conflict.

Tensions between the DRC and Rwanda have remained high, with mutual accusations of support for armed groups and breaches of sovereignty in the restive eastern region. Angola’s decision to step back signals a new chapter in African-led attempts to resolve one of the continent’s most protracted and complex crises.