South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Meet Angolan Counterpart João Lourenço to Discuss DR Congo Crisis

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to visit Angola on Thursday, August 8, for a working meeting with his counterpart, João Lourenço. The discussions will focus on the ongoing crisis in eastern DR Congo.

The two leaders will “exchange views on regional matters of mutual concern, including the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and broader regional and continental efforts to resolve conflicts affecting the continent,” according to a statement from Ramaphosa’s office on Wednesday.

South Africa is leading a Southern African Development Community (SADC) military mission in eastern DR Congo, having deployed 2,900 troops to the area in December as part of the SADC regional force.

President Lourenço is mediating the African Union-backed Luanda Process, an initiative aimed at restoring peace in eastern DR Congo and addressing the diplomatic tensions between Rwanda and DR Congo that have arisen from the conflict.

Ramaphosa’s visit follows a July 30 meeting between foreign ministers from Rwanda, Angola, and DR Congo, which resulted in a ceasefire agreement between the Congolese army and M23 rebels in North Kivu province, effective August 5 and open-ended.

Additionally, Ramaphosa’s visit comes after a recent meeting of intelligence experts from Angola, Rwanda, and DR Congo in Luanda, where discussions included the neutralization of the FDLR militia, linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

The visit was announced following a phone call between Lourenço and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who praised Angola’s “diplomatic leadership and sustained commitment to promoting peace” and supporting the ceasefire in eastern DR Congo. Blinken also expressed U.S. backing for the Angola-led Ad Hoc Verification Mechanism in monitoring the ceasefire.

Ramaphosa’s visit follows criticism from South Africa’s main opposition parties regarding the deployment of troops to DR Congo, with concerns about the training and preparedness of the soldiers. The conflict, now in its third year, has resulted in at least seven South African soldiers’ deaths.