Renewed fighting in DRC angers Angola

The Angolan government is raising concerns after violence resumed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo just as Luanda was pushing for a longer-term ceasefire after a lull in fighting over the past one month.

But fighting erupted in Kalembe town in Walikale territory of North Kivu Province, where M23 rebels clashed with Congolese forces (Fardc) on Monday. The new clashes began just a day after M23 took control of the town and Fardc beat them back and recaptured it.

In a press statement on Tuesday, Luanda said the new violence was a flagrant violation of the principles and spirit of the recommendations and decisions of the ministerial meeting of July 30 this year, and of the agreed ceasefire, which came into force at midnight on August 4.

Angola has been mediating between the DRC and Rwanda who accuse each other of supporting rebels keen to destabilise their governments. Their most recent meeting was two weeks ago in Luanda, where they pledged to continue seeking a peaceful solution. Kinshasa pledged to ensure the FDLR rebels, seen in Kigali as enemy, don’t get the backing of Fardc, but pegged that to Rwanda’s withdrawal of support to the M23.

Angola said it "rejects and strongly condemns this hostile act, which undermines the ongoing efforts to find a lasting solution to the conflict in eastern DRC, and calls on the parties to the conflict to respect the ceasefire, as reiterated by the ministerial meeting of September 14.

Violent fighting was reported on Sunday and Monday around the village of Kalembe. According to local sources, the clashes pitted the Wazalendo self-defence group, which supports the Congolese army, against the M23. The Congolese army reportedly regained control of the town.

“I have learnt that the NDC Rénové (Kivu armed group), with logistical support from the Fardc, has regained control of the town of Kalembe. I call on the Fardc and the patriotic resistance fighters to consolidate this victory,” said Juvenal Munubo, a former MP from Walikale.

MP Willy Mishiki says the rebels want to take control of three other provinces, South Kivu, Tshopo and Maniema, in the east and northeast of the country.

“Officials in Kinshasa have not commented on the breakdown of the truce in the DRC. What about the ceasefire agreed in Luanda?" Mr Munubo said.

A ceasefire has been in place since the beginning of August, with relative success, which saw some displaced people even begin to return to their homes, seeing them as safer than the crowded and vulnerable.

On the political front, the DRC has ruled out any dialogue with the M23, but negotiations are underway between the DRC and Rwanda.

On October 12, at the fifth meeting of the foreign ministers of Rwanda and the DRC, the two countries agreed to continue working on outstanding security issues related to the draft peace agreement proposed by the facilitator.

Angola recommended avoiding acts that could lead to an escalation of the conflict, aggravating the serious humanitarian situation in the east of the DRC, and reiterated its commitment to the search for a permanent solution within the framework of the Luanda Process, led by the President João Lourenço, under the auspices of the African Union.

Kigali and Kinshasa agreed to set up an ad hoc verification mechanism to monitor the peace efforts. This new structure would be officially launched in Goma, DRC, no later than November 5, 2024, according to the communiqué of the October 12 meeting.

At least left 14 civilians were wounded in the latest clashes, and many fled their homes. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates that 940,000 people will be displaced in 2024 alone, bringing the total to nearly seven million in the DRC. As a result of the war and the massive displacement of civilians, civilians in North Kivu are exposed to extreme overcrowding and serious violations, including sexual violence.