The meeting, held at the Angolan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aims to analyze the Harmonization Plan on the Neutralization of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and to elaborate a withdrawal plan, a note from the local Foreign Ministry said.

These talks are an essential step to materialize the decisions of the second ministerial meeting held last July 30 in Luanda, in which the foreign ministers of the DRC and Rwanda agreed on a cease-fire which came into effect at midnight local time on August 4.

Angolan Foreign Minister Téte António congratulated the two delegations and their respective governments for their determination to relaunch the basis for dialogue, with a view to finding a consensual and peaceful solution to the challenges that still prevail.

This will be of benefit to the affected communities, the countries involved and the Great Lakes Region as a whole, he said.

The first ministerial meeting, held in Luanda on March 21 this year, ended with the agreement of a new meeting on July 30, but also with the commitment of the DRC government to present a plan and a timetable for the neutralization of the FDLR. This was a condition for the Rwandan government to agree to review its defense and security posture.

Kinshasa accuses Kigali of providing support to the rebels of the March 23 Movement (M23), which is holding several towns and communes in eastern DRC, while Kigali claims that the Congolese government is supporting the FDLR.

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