The meeting of Congolese and Rwandan intelligence experts ended this Thursday in Luanda. The delegates were in the Angolan capital to discuss the security and peace situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The meeting began with a speech by Ambassador Téte António, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Angola, who stressed the importance of this meeting aimed at analyzing the Harmonization Plan for the Neutralization of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and developing a plan for the disengagement of the forces in conflict.

This meeting follows the second session of the Ministerial Meeting held on 30 July 2024 in Luanda, where a ceasefire was decided to enter into force on 4 August at midnight local time. In his address, Minister Téte António commended the delegations present and their respective governments for their determination to relaunch the dialogue with a view to finding a consensual and peaceful solution to the persistent challenges in the eastern region of the DRC, for the benefit of their communities and the Great Lakes region in general.

The intelligence experts present in Luanda are tasked with implementing the decisions taken at the Ministerial Meeting, including the neutralization of the FDLR and the disengagement of the armed forces in conflict. This meeting is taking place in a tense context, marked by the violation of the ceasefire by M23 fighters, who recently took control of the customs city of Ishasha, claiming not to recognize the ceasefire in force.

The main objective of the meeting was to discuss the FDLR neutralization plan proposed by the Mediator and to reach an agreement on a harmonized plan. The experts have until August 15, 2024 to submit their recommendations to the next Ministerial Meeting, scheduled for later this month.

The outcome of this meeting is crucial for peace efforts in the Great Lakes region, where armed conflicts and humanitarian crises continue to cause considerable suffering. The success of this initiative is essential to progress towards a lasting and peaceful solution, in a context of heightened tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, marked by mutual accusations of support for armed groups and territorial disputes.