Angola has deployed troops in DR Congo to fight M23 rebels

By Godfrey Olukya

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) - Angola announced Saturday the deployment of soldiers to support peacekeeping operations in the Congo, according to UN radio.

It cited information on the Facebook page of the Presidency of Angola that said the main objective is to secure areas where members of the M23 rebel group are stationed and to protect members of the Ad Hoc Verification Mechanism meant to bring peace to the region.

Angolan President Joao Lourenco chairs the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and is the mediator of the African Union (AU) in the crisis between Rwanda and Congo.

The page said Angola took the initiative to inform leaders in the region about its deployment within the framework of coordination between the Luanda and Nairobi processes to bring peace, as well as the United Nations, African Union and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) regional bloc.

The decision by Angola was preceded by consultations with authorities in the Congo, according to the page.

M23 rebels renewed attacks on government positions in eastern Congo in March 2022 and have since seized several towns and villages.

In 2012 and 2013 they attacked and seized large areas in eastern Congo but were chased out by government troops and resumed attacks last year.