The meeting constitutes the continuation of the first ministerial meeting held in Luanda on March 21st of this year, when the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the DRC, Christophe Lutundula, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Rwanda spoke, Vincent Biruta, who agreed to hold a second conversation.

The meeting, a result of Angola´s mediation, takes place after the acceptance by the presidents of the DRC, Félix Tshisekedi, and Rwanda, Paul Kagame, to begin a process that leads to dialogue between the two leaders.

The agreement arose from talks held in Luanda by President João Lourenço with both parties individually in his capacity as a mediator appointed by the African Union for the solution of the conflict involving the two countries.

Tensions between these nations have increased in recent months due to the escalation of violence in the Democratic Congo, where various armed groups attacked the civilian population, particularly the March 23 Movement (M23) which began an offensive and occupied several cities in the province of North Kivu.

DRC accuses Rwanda of providing resources and military support to the M23, as well as stealing Congolese natural resources from conflict regions.

A recent report by United Nations experts confirmed the participation of Rwandan soldiers in the conflict in the Congo, as well as technological and intelligence cooperation by Rwandan forces.

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