By James Tasamba
KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) – A ministerial meeting on the security and peace situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo held Tuesday in the Angolan capital Luanda agreed on a new cease-fire from midnight Aug. 4, Angola’s president’s office announced.
The talks, chaired by Angola’s Foreign Minister Tete Antonio, were attended by Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe and his Congolese counterpart Therese Kayikwamba.
The cease-fire will be monitored by an ad hoc reinforced verification mechanism, a statement said.
Tuesday’s meeting came three days before the expiration of an extended humanitarian truce decreed at the initiative of the US.
The foreign ministers earlier met with Angolan President Joao Lourenco, who was mandated by the African Union to lead diplomatic efforts aimed at providing a political settlement to the crisis in eastern Congo, where the M23 rebel group is battling government forces.
The resumption of the talks came days after Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi accused his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto of mismanaging the Nairobi peace process, which was also aimed at addressing the conflict in eastern Congo through dialogue.
Tshisekedi accused Ruto of siding with Rwanda.
The recent flare-up of fighting in eastern Congo led to tensions between Kigali and Kinshasa.
Congo accuses Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels since their resurgence in November 2021, a charge that Kigali consistently denies.