Since late 2022, Angola has spearheaded efforts to find a lasting solution to the crises affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and the wider Great Lakes region, with the African Union endorsing the initiative, known as the Luanda Process, in November of that year.
Angolan President João Lourenço initially focused on bringing Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo together through talks held in Luanda. At the time, the international community was increasingly concerned that tensions between the two countries could escalate into an open conflict with repercussions across the wider Great Lakes region.
From 2022 through the end of 2024, the Luanda negotiations largely revolved around three key issues: dismantling the FDLR armed group, which was founded by individuals involved in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi; addressing the grievances that led AFC/M23 to take up arms; and lifting the defensive measures Rwanda had put in place along its border.
As the talks progressed, AFC/M23 argued that it should be directly involved in the process since its concerns were among the matters under discussion. This led President Lourenço to receive the movement’s representatives in Luanda, where they presented their case for being included in the mediation efforts rather than remaining on the sidelines.
On September 14, 2024, Angolan mediators presented AFC/M23’s request for direct negotiations with the Congolese government. The proposal was swiftly rejected by DRC Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner.
Despite the disagreement, diplomatic efforts continued. On October 31, security and intelligence officials from Rwanda and the DRC agreed on an operational framework known as CONOPS.
The plan outlined measures to dismantle the FDLR and eventually remove Rwanda’s defensive measures. The agreement was viewed as a significant step toward restoring peace in eastern Congo.
A peace deal was expected to be signed in December 2024, but Angola insisted that Kinshasa first engage in direct talks with AFC/M23. The Congolese delegation, however, refused to do so, citing instructions from President Félix Tshisekedi.
The deadlock ultimately derailed a summit scheduled for December 15, 2024, which was to bring together Presidents Paul Kagame, Félix Tshisekedi and João Lourenço. Although Tshisekedi traveled to Luanda, the peace agreement was never signed after negotiations stalled over the M23 issue.
In February 2025, as he prepared to assume the chairmanship of the African Union, Angolan President João Lourenço announced that he was stepping down from his mediation role. While he cited his growing responsibilities within the AU, the lack of tangible progress in the Luanda talks was also seen as a key factor.
Lourenço was replaced by Togolese leader Faure Gnassingbé, whose appointment as mediator received the backing of the African Union. His task was eased by the growing involvement of the United States and Qatar in efforts to resolve the crisis.
After previously rejecting the idea, the Congolese government eventually agreed to hold direct talks with AFC/M23 under Qatari mediation. The negotiations began in Doha in March 2025 before being moved to Montreux, Switzerland, in April 2026 due to the conflict in the Middle East.
As AFC/M23 advanced and captured the city of Uvira, President Félix Tshisekedi reportedly appealed to Lourenço for military assistance. During a visit to Luanda on December 14, he was told that a military solution could not resolve the conflict.
As his term at the African Union drew to a close, Lourenço began exploring ways to revive dialogue among Congolese stakeholders. His goal was to encourage an inclusive process that would address the country’s internal disputes without excluding any party.
President João Lourenço held consultations with representatives of the Catholic and Anglican churches in the DRC to hear their proposals for an inclusive Congolese dialogue, building on preparations they had been working on for more than a year. President Félix Tshisekedi also met him in Luanda on three occasions in 2026 to discuss the initiative.
Angola’s vision was for a neutral, Angola-led dialogue bringing together all Congolese stakeholders outside the DRC. In January, Foreign Minister Tete António traveled to Kinshasa to formally present the proposal to Tshisekedi, but returned without a clear response.
On May 14, Tshisekedi dispatched a six-member delegation led by Sumbu Sita Mambu, the official in charge of peace dialogue efforts. The delegation informed Angola that any inter-Congolese talks would be organized and chaired by the DRC government and would not take place abroad.
Through his envoys, Tshisekedi indicated that Angola’s role should be limited to engaging Congolese figures unwilling to travel to Kinshasa for security reasons and transmitting their recommendations to the Congolese authorities for consideration.
Following this response, Lourenço decided to withdraw Angola from initiatives aimed at facilitating dialogue among Congolese actors, accusing the DRC government of failing to honor previous commitments. Angola also declined to send representatives to an African Union meeting on regional peace efforts held in Lomé, Togo, on June 7–8, 2026.
