The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group has pulled out of scheduled peace talks with the Congolese government, casting doubt on efforts to resolve the escalating conflict in eastern Congo. The negotiations, set for March 19, 2025, in Luanda, Angola, were abandoned by M23 following the European Union’s imposition of sanctions on several of its members, announced just days earlier on March 17, 2025.
M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka cited the sanctions as a primary reason for the withdrawal, arguing that they “undermine any possibility of productive dialogue.” He also accused Congo’s military of launching fresh offensives, calling the talks “impracticable” under current conditions. The rebel group’s decision comes as fighting intensifies in the mineral-rich east, where M23 has seized key cities like Goma and Bukavu since January 2025.
Despite the setback, the Congolese government affirmed its commitment to the process. Tina Salama, spokesperson for President Felix Tshisekedi, confirmed that a government delegation had already arrived in Luanda for the talks, which were intended as a rare direct negotiation between the two sides. Angola, mediating the conflict, had facilitated the arrangement after previous talks collapsed in December 2024 over Rwanda’s insistence on direct dialogue—a demand Congo initially opposed.
The EU sanctions targeted prominent figures, including M23 political leader Bertrand Bisimwa, three other rebel members, and five Rwandan nationals, among them a commander of Rwandan special forces operating in eastern Congo. Rwanda’s Gasabo Gold Refinery was also hit with penalties for its alleged involvement in the illegal trafficking of resources from Congo’s east, a region vital for minerals used in global electronics production.
The breakdown of the talks underscores the mounting international pressure on Rwanda, accused of backing M23, and highlights the worsening humanitarian crisis driven by the conflict. As of March 20, 2025, the path to peace in eastern Congo remains uncertain.