Talks due Sunday between the leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to end conflict in the eastern DRC were called off after negotiations deadlocked, officials said.Since 2021 a Rwanda-backed rebel militia has seized swathes of the eastern DRC,

Peace talks between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), scheduled for Sunday in Angola, were canceled after negotiations reached an impasse. The deadlock stemmed from Rwanda’s demand for the DRC to engage directly with the M23 rebels,

The Congolese presidency blamed the Rwandan delegation for refusing to take part in the talks aimed at making an assessment of the peace process in the eastern DRC, and define the steps to be taken, pending the conclusion of the peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda.

The Congolese army lost territory Monday in fighting with Rwanda-backed rebels in eastern DR Congo, military and local sources said, a day after a peace summit between the presidents of the two countries was canceled.