DRC President Félix Tshisekedi said he is open to a national dialogue to address the country's political and security crisis — but has made clear that he will set the rules.
Addressing diplomats in Kinshasa at the start of the year, Tshisekedi called national unity a priority while confirming that a dialogue process was possible under specific, non-negotiable conditions. Angola's President Lourenço has been pushing for dialogue as a way to reduce tensions in the east.
A framework deal between the DRC government and M23 was signed in November 2025, brokered by Qatar with US support. It calls for a halt to hostilities but leaves the hard questions — displaced people, governance, security arrangements — for later talks.
Meanwhile, reports of a government crackdown on internal dissent have raised doubts about how inclusive any dialogue process would actually be in practice.
Analysts warn that without a proper multilateral format that brings together Kinshasa, Kigali and M23, any agreement risks remaining on paper.
