Congo and M23 rebels plan to hold first direct talks on April 9
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Report: DRC, M23 to Hold Direct Talks on April 9
Above: Military leaders from Zambia, South Africa and the regional Southern African Development Community (SADC) listen to a Tanzanian major general as SADC and M23 signed a cease-fire agreement in Goma on March 28, 2025, to allow SADC troops to leave DRC. Image copyright: Jospin Mwisha/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
The Congo crisis is a testament to the failure of the West in protecting peace — and it's a shame that a small Gulf nation had to teach Western powers that a mediator must be neutral and pragmatic, rather than taking sides focused on transactional self-interest. Now, it's up to Kinshasa to seize the opportunity and move toward peace.
Pro-establishment narrative
Kinshasa has already lost control over the eastern DRC and tensions could emerge elsewhere now, as the Rwanda-aligned M23 rebels want to redraw the geopolitical map of the Great Lakes and topple Tshisekedi. Direct talks are a step in the right direction, but a way out of this conflict is possible only if the United States puts more pressure on Rwanda.