LUANDA, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Angolan President and African Union (AU) Chairperson Joao Lourenco on Monday met with several African leaders in Luanda, calling for a ceasefire in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
According to the Presidency, Lourenco held talks with DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, President of Togo's Council of Ministers and AU Mediator Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe, as well as Olusegun Obasanjo, former president of Nigeria. The meeting focused on regional security and the peace process.
According to a statement issued after the meeting, the leaders called on all parties to the conflict in the DRC to implement a ceasefire, noting that the specific timing and modalities of the ceasefire would be determined through consultations among the relevant parties.
The statement also urged accelerated implementation of the ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism agreed upon in Doha in October 2025.
The leaders authorized Angola to engage in consultations with all relevant parties in the DRC to advance internal dialogue and help resolve the country's security crisis.
Since January 2025, tensions in eastern DRC have escalated, with the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group launching offensives in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, resulting in significant civilian casualties and displacement.
The DRC has accused Rwanda of supporting the M23, while Rwanda has accused the DRC of backing the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, a group linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
In October 2025, the DRC government and the M23 signed an agreement in Doha, Qatar, on a ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism. In November, the two sides signed a framework agreement in Doha, pledging to build mutual trust through dialogue, advance stabilization in phases, and address the root causes of the conflict.
On Dec. 4, 2025, Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame signed a U.S.-brokered peace agreement in Washington, aiming to bring an end to the decades-long conflict. ■
