Tshisekedi Rejects AFC/M23 Participation in National Peace Talks

Kinshasa, January 31, 2026 - President Félix Tshisekedi has signaled that members of the AFC/M23 alliance will not be allowed to participate in planned national peace talks aimed at uniting the Congolese people. Since December 2025, the Congolese government, with support from Angolan President and African Union Chair João Lourenço, has been preparing a dialogue process initially expected to take place in Kinshasa. Early reports suggested that opposition groups, including AFC/M23, could be invited. However, the venue is now reportedly under consideration in Luanda, Angola, or Lomé, Togo. AFC/M23 leader Corneille Nangaa confirmed that Angolan authorities had invited him to attend the talks, but he questioned how this forum would differ from the ongoing Doha process, warning that achievements made there should not be undermined. In an interview conducted in Goma on January 26, Nangaa stated that the Doha talks should continue, as they are, in his view, the only framework capable of resolving differences between AFC/M23 and the Congolese government, before broader national dialogue can take place. On January 31, Tshisekedi briefed diplomatic representatives in Kinshasa on the security situation in eastern DRC, insisting that any Congolese dialogue must be held on national territory and led by state institutions. “If these talks take place, they will take place on national territory, led and organized by national institutions, based on the Constitution, national laws and democratic principles,” Tshisekedi said. He further stressed that dialogue would not include those he accuses of committing crimes against civilians. “Talks, yes. But we will not do it with those who committed crimes against our population,” he added. The DRC government has long accused the AFC/M23 of serious abuses, including killings, in areas under its control in North Kivu and South Kivu, particularly Goma and Bukavu, a matter discussed during a cabinet meeting on January 30. AFC/M23 rejects these accusations, instead blaming government forces for most abuses and claiming that security has improved and living conditions are better in areas it controls.