LUANDA, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Peace talks between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group, originally set for Tuesday, were called off due to "reasons and circumstances of force majeure," the Angolan Foreign Ministry confirmed Tuesday.
In the statement, Angola also pledged to push for the talks, reaffirming dialogue as the only path to lasting peace in the eastern DRC.
The Angolan Presidency insisted on Monday that the talks would proceed "as scheduled," despite the M23's withdrawal earlier. The rebel group accused "certain international institutions" of deliberately obstructing peace efforts and undermining negotiations.
"Successive sanctions imposed on our members, including those announced on the eve of the Luanda discussions, make direct dialogue impossible," the M23 said, referring to the European Union (EU)'s sanctions issued Monday targeting M23 leaders, including political chief Bertrand Bisimwa, and Rwandan military commanders.
Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), a politico-military group allied with the M23, said the EU's move reflected a "double standard," forcing the AFC to reconsider its participation in the talks until further notice.
The M23 has urged DRC President Felix Tshisekedi to publicly commit to direct negotiations, while the Congolese government has repeatedly rejected talks with the M23, which has seized large areas of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
In its situation update issued Monday, the United Nations Children's Fund warned that 1 million people, including around 400,000 children, were newly displaced since late January 2025, with figures likely to rise further as hostilities continue in both South Kivu and North Kivu. ■
