The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo Felix Tshisekedi is considering a sit-down with Rwanda backed armed group M23.
Tshisekdi had previously ruled out dialogue with the group rampaging through the mineral rich eastern part of the country.
His consideration comes amidst a string of defeats, seizure of territories and regional pressure to begin talks with the groups.
Angola - in a surprise twist - had announced earlier in the week that it would host direct talks between Congo and M23 in its capital on March 18.
Despite not reacting publicly to the announcement, top officials in Tshisekedi’s government confirmed to Reuters that he was seriously considering sending a delegation to the proposed meeting.
"I haven't talked to a single African country that says Kinshasa shouldn't talk to M23," one senior diplomat said.
"The line of everyone is, 'How do you stop the fighting if you don't engage with them?'"
Another stated emphatically that Kinshasa would be attending but it was still unclear who would represent the government in Luanda next week.
Other sources said the debate was still ongoing and that a final decision was not likely to be made until next week.
M23, for its part, said on Thursday it was demanding an unequivocal commitment from Tshisekedi to engage in talks.
Southern and East African foreign and defence ministers are due to meet in Harare, Zimbabwe on Monday to discuss the push for a cessation of hostilities and political dialogue.
The fighting in eastern DRC has sparked a far reaching humanitarian crisis with over 7,000 people killed in January alone and 80,000 people displaced.
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Pope Leo visited Istanbul’s Blue Mosque on Saturday, stepping inside one of the most iconic sites of the Muslim world. He removed his shoes at the entrance in a gesture of respect. He did not appear to pray.
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At least 47 people have died and another 21 are reported missing following ten days of heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides across Sri Lanka, local media reported on Thursday (27 November).
Hong Kong fire authorities said they expected to wrap up search and rescue operations on Friday after the city's worst fire in nearly 80 years tore through a massive apartment complex, killing at least 128 people, injuring 79 and leaving around 200 still missing.
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U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited sailors aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier in the Latin American region on Thursday, amid a military buildup by President Donald Trump’s administration that has heightened tensions with Venezuela.
French health experts are warning that the highly pathogenic H5 strain of bird flu, already devastating wild and farm animals, could evolve into a virus capable of human-to-human transmission — potentially sparking a pandemic worse than COVID-19.
The global recall of Airbus A320 aircraft has triggered widespread disruption across several major airlines, forcing flight cancellations in the United States, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Pope Leo visited Istanbul’s Blue Mosque on Saturday, stepping inside one of the most iconic sites of the Muslim world. He removed his shoes at the entrance in a gesture of respect. He did not appear to pray.
Russian drones and missiles struck several districts of Kyiv early on Saturday, killing one person and injuring more than a dozen. Fires swept through residential blocks as debris rained over the city.
Shoppers packed malls and downtown streets in Caracas on Black Friday (28 November) as retailers offered discounts despite Venezuela’s prolonged economic crisis. Customers queued in shoe and electronics stores and browsed signs advertising cuts of up to 50%.
The famed Nuremberg Christmas Market opened on Friday (28 November) with its traditional ceremony featuring the Nuremberg Christkind, an angel-like child figure said to deliver Christmas gifts in some European countries.
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