The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, dispatched an official message to his Angolan counterpart, João Lourenço, on Friday, 10 July 2026. According to Angola’s Ministry of External Relations, which announced the development on social media, the Congolese Head of State’s correspondence was delivered by his roving ambassador, Antoine Ghonda Mangalibi, and handed to Tete António, Angola’s Minister of External Relations.

“A message from His Excellency Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to his Angolan counterpart, His Excellency João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, was delivered this Friday afternoon in Luanda to His Excellency Tete António, Angola’s Minister of External Relations,” the Angolan diplomatic ministry stated.

The contents of the message remain undisclosed, but this diplomatic move coincides with escalating tensions in eastern DRC, where the M23 rebel group, backed by Rwanda, continues to control significant portions of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. Diplomatic initiatives in Washington and Doha have yet to yield lasting solutions to the conflict. The timing also aligns with national debates in the DRC regarding a potential constitutional amendment or revision, just two years before President Tshisekedi’s term concludes.

This message exchange occurs amid intensified regional diplomatic consultations. Kinshasa and Luanda maintain regular dialogue on bilateral relations, regional peace, and security in the Great Lakes area. It follows consultations by Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye, the African Union’s current chair, with religious leaders in the DRC and a group of Congolese opposition figures.

Another key diplomatic development involves President Tshisekedi’s recent visit to Brazzaville for talks with his Congolese counterpart, Denis Sassou Nguesso. This visit followed a state visit by President Ndayishimiye to Kinshasa. Days later, President Sassou Nguesso continued consultations by meeting Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo to discuss the political and institutional situation in the DRC.

In February, a high-level meeting in Luanda saw regional leaders and stakeholders in the DRC peace process agree to entrust Angola with leading consultations with Congolese stakeholders to prepare for an inter-Congolese dialogue. This decision was announced in a statement from Angola’s presidency following a meeting between Angolan President João Lourenço—then chair of the African Union—DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, Togolese Prime Minister Faure Gnassingbé (designated AU mediator), and Olusegun Obasanjo (representing the AU’s five former African heads of state facilitating the DRC peace process).

Since then, diplomatic contacts between Kinshasa and Luanda have continued through exchanges of envoys between Presidents Tshisekedi and Lourenço. However, this initiative has yet to produce the expected outcomes, with reports indicating the inter-Congolese dialogue remains stalled due to disagreements over its format and the parties invited to participate.