Angola wants to set up face-to-face talks between Congo and the M23 rebels backed by Rwanda. These meetings might happen within days. The Congo government has always said no to talking with M23 before. We still don't know if they'll show up this time. A person who speaks for Congo's president told Reuters they noticed this peace plan. The M23 assistant spokesperson said the group would attend and called this news proof that smart thinking won.
Angola keeps trying to cool down the fight between Congo and its neighbor, Rwanda. Many say Rwanda helps the Tutsi-led rebel group with guns and fighters. Rwanda says that's not true. They claim their army only fights back when Congo's military and anti-Rwanda groups attack them first. Since January, M23 fighters took over the two largest cities in eastern Congo. This made the long-running fight much worse. The whole mess started years ago after Rwanda's 1994 killing spree spilled into Congo. Both sides also battle for control of valuable minerals found there.
Congo's leader, Felix Tshisekedi, traveled to Luanda and met with Angola's boss, Joao Lourenco. The Angola government posted on Facebook that they would reach out to M23 right away. They want both sides to talk directly in Angola's capital soon. Leaders from nearby African nations plan to meet online on March 13 about safety problems in Congo. These big shots will probably give their thumbs up to what Angola wants to do.
Angola keeps trying to cool down the fight between Congo and its neighbor, Rwanda. Many say Rwanda helps the Tutsi-led rebel group with guns and fighters. Rwanda says that's not true. They claim their army only fights back when Congo's military and anti-Rwanda groups attack them first. Since January, M23 fighters took over the two largest cities in eastern Congo. This made the long-running fight much worse. The whole mess started years ago after Rwanda's 1994 killing spree spilled into Congo. Both sides also battle for control of valuable minerals found there.
Congo's leader, Felix Tshisekedi, traveled to Luanda and met with Angola's boss, Joao Lourenco. The Angola government posted on Facebook that they would reach out to M23 right away. They want both sides to talk directly in Angola's capital soon. Leaders from nearby African nations plan to meet online on March 13 about safety problems in Congo. These big shots will probably give their thumbs up to what Angola wants to do.
