The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group announced Monday that it will withdraw from peace talks scheduled for Tuesday in Angola. The rebels had planned direct negotiations with the Democratic Republic of Congo's government to resolve the conflict in the country's east.
The Congo River Alliance of rebel groups, including M23, stated it was pulling out of talks due to sanctions imposed earlier in the day by the EU on M23 and Rwandan officials.
The rebel group coalition said in a statement that the EU actions were aimed at "obstructing the much-anticipated talks."
Rwanda also said that it was cutting diplomatic ties with its former colonial ruler, Belgium, with Kigali accusing Brussels of attempting to "sustain its neo-colonial delusions."
Rwanda announced on Monday that it had severed diplomatic ties with Belgium, giving Belgian diplomats 48 hours to leave the country.
Belgium's foreign affairs minister, Maxime Prevot, described the move as "disproportionate," adding that Brussels would declare Rwandan diplomats persona non grata.
Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi had previously refused direct talks with the M23 rebels, who have fought the government for over a decade. However, Tshisekedi announced last week that he was willing to meet with the M23 group after a meeting with his Angolan counterpart, who has acted as a mediator in the conflict.
Tina Salama, a spokesperson for Tshisekedi, stated that despite the M23's withdrawal, the government delegation would still travel to Luanda for the talks.
The M23 escalated its offensive earlier this year, and despite assertions by the US and UN experts, Rwanda has denied supporting the rebels.
M23 is one of nearly 100 armed groups vying for control of the mineral-rich eastern Congo near the Rwanda border. The rebel group has seized two major cities in eastern Congo since fighting intensified earlier this year, resulting in thousands of deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands.
The European Commission has proposed cutting fertiliser import duties in an effort to secure support for a long-delayed free trade deal with the South...
President Donald Trump declared that the United States will "always be there" for NATO, emphasising the importance of the alliance in countering globa...
Azerbaijan is set to deliver a new consignment of oil products to Armenia on 8 January, with shipments departing from the Guzdak railway station and t...
Azerbaijan and Syria have reached an agreement to establish a joint business council aimed at enhancing trade and economic cooperation between the two...
Snow and ice caused travel chaos in northwest Europe on Wednesday, while others were delighted by the snow-covered streets of Paris, venturing out on ...
Rwandan President Paul Kagame welcomed the U.S.-mediated peace agreement with the Democratic Republic of Congo, but warned its success depends on both sides showing genuine commitment.
The US will host the official signing of a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, the State Department announced Friday.
Rwanda has officially withdrawn from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), citing political bias and obstruction by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Germany’s foreign intelligence service secretly monitored the telephone communications of former U.S. President Barack Obama for several years, including calls made aboard Air Force One, according to an investigation by the German newspaper Die Zeit.
Diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing escalated as Japan slams China's export ban on dual-use goods. Markets have wobbled as fears grow over a potential rare earth embargo affecting global supply chains.
Iran’s chief justice has warned protesters there will be “no leniency for those who help the enemy against the Islamic Republic”, as rights groups reported a rising death toll during what observers describe as the country’s biggest wave of unrest in three years.
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) sources reported a significant movement of U.S. military aircraft towards the Middle East in recent hours. Dozens of U.S. Air Force aerial refuelling tankers and heavy transport aircraft were observed heading eastwards, presumably to staging points in the region.
Two people have been killed after a private helicopter crashed at a recreation centre in Russia’s Perm region, Russian authorities and local media have said.
The European Commission has proposed cutting fertiliser import duties in an effort to secure support for a long-delayed free trade deal with the South American bloc Mercosur.
President Donald Trump declared that the United States will "always be there" for NATO, emphasising the importance of the alliance in countering global threats. In a post on Truth Social, Trump reiterated that Russia and China only feared NATO as long as the U.S. remained a member.
The U.S. has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker that had been followed by a Russian submarine on Wednesday, following a more than two-week-long pursuit across the Atlantic as part of a U.S. "blockade" on Venezuelan oil exports, according to two U.S. officials speaking to Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought to advance EU membership discussions and secure stricter sanctions on Russia during a meeting on Wednesday as Cyprus took over the European Union's rotating presidency.
Two people have been killed after a private helicopter crashed at a recreation centre in Russia’s Perm region, Russian authorities and local media have said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment