THE Rwanda-backed militia who captured key areas of Congo’s mineral-rich eastern region said they were withdrawing from peace talks with the Congolese government this week.

The M23 group said on Monday that international sanctions on the group’s members have undermined such dialogue.

According to spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka, the talks scheduled to start in the Angolan capital of Luanda on Tuesday “have become impracticable” as a result of the sanctions announced by the European Union against some of its members.

Alleged offensives still being carried out in the conflict-hit region by Congo’s military also undermine the talks, he said, adding that “our organisation can no longer continue to participate in the discussions.”

After initially rejecting such talks, Congo’s government said on Monday that it would participate in the dialogue in Angola. A delegation representing Congo had already travelled to Luanda for the talks, a spokesperson for President Felix Tshisekedi, Tina Salama, told reporters.

M23 had also sent a delegation to Luanda, the group’s spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said on the X platform on Monday.

The conflict in eastern Congo escalated in January when the Rwanda-backed militia advanced and seized the strategic city of Goma, followed by Bukavu in February.

Angola, a mediator in the conflict, announced last week that it would host direct peace negotiations between Congo and M23 starting today.

Peace talks between Congo and Rwanda were unexpectedly cancelled in December after Rwanda made the signing of a peace agreement conditional on a direct dialogue between Congo and the M23 militia, which Congo refused at the time.

M23 is one of about 100 armed groups seeking control over mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda, in a conflict that has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises and displaced more than 7 million people.

The militia are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighbouring Rwanda.

Rwanda announced on Monday that it was cutting diplomatic ties with Belgium and ordered all its diplomats to leave, a month after Brussels suspended development aid to the east African country. 

In a statement, Kigali accused Brussels of attempting to “sustain its neocolonial delusions.

“Belgium has clearly taken sides in a regional conflict and continues to systematically mobilise against Rwanda in different forums, using lies and manipulation to secure an unjustified hostile opinion of Rwanda, in an attempt to destabilise both Rwanda and the region.”

In response, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said: “This is disproportionate and shows that when we disagree with Rwanda they prefer not to engage in dialogue.”