Angolan President has called for a ceasefire in the eastern DRC to pave the way for peace talks between the DRC and M23 rebels

Democratic Republic of Congo is considering sending representatives to peace talks with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group that Angola plans to host next week, two government sources said on Thursday,

Angola is advancing efforts to mediate the crisis in eastern DR Congo by facilitating direct negotiations between Kinshasa and the M23 rebel group. Following a meeting in Luanda, Angolan President João Lourenço announced plans to establish talks between the two sides to secure lasting peace.

Angola has acted as a mediator in the conflict in eastern Congo, which escalated in late January when the Rwanda-backed rebels advanced and took control of the strategic eastern Congo city of Goma. In February, M23 seized Bukavu, eastern Congo’s second biggest city.

Direct peace talks between the Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels will begin in the Angolan capital on March 18, Angola's presidency said in a statement on Wednesday.

Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has long ruled out dialogue with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels rampaging through eastern parts of his country, but a string of defeats and waning regional support have forced him think again.