The latest rejection by rebel leader Corneille Nangaa of President Félix Tshisekedi’s overtures for yet another round of “peace talks” in Luanda should finally force a moment of honesty in Democratic Republic of Congo’s long running crisis. For far too long, the Kinshasa regime has perfected the art of process shopping. Whenever pressure mounts to implement hard decisions agreed elsewhere, a new mediation track is floated, a new venue announced, and familiar rhetoric about peace is recycled. The result has been predictable. Agreements pile up, communiqués gather dust, and eastern Congo continues to bleed. The Doha Peace Process, which is the latest the Kinshasa regime want to side-step, was not casual conversations. They were painstaking engagements that laid out clear expectations, responsibilities, and sequencing for all parties involved. They recognised that peace in eastern Congo will not be achieved through theatrics or diplomatic tourism, but through deliberate implementation of agreed steps. Each actor has work to do. None is excused. It is therefore disingenuous for Kinshasa to present Luanda as a fresh olive branch when the ink on Doha has barely dried. A new process does not cancel old obligations. It merely signals an unwillingness to confront uncomfortable commitments already made. Worse still, it sends a message to armed groups and civilians alike that agreements with the Congolese state are provisional, reversible, and subject to political convenience. African partners must resist being drawn into this cycle. The continent has paid dearly for conflicts sustained not by lack of dialogue, but by lack of political will to implement outcomes of such talks. Endorsing parallel or competing peace initiatives only weakens the very idea of negotiated settlements. It rewards foot-dragging and undermines mediators who invest credibility and resources into serious processes. Supporting Doha is not about choosing sides. It is about choosing coherence, accountability, and respect for African led solutions. The region does not need another summit photo opportunity. It needs disciplined follow through. If Kinshasa is serious about peace, the path is already mapped. What remains is the courage to walk it. Eastern DR Congo’s tragedy has endured partly because leaders have learned they can evade implementation without consequence. That indulgence must end. Fellow African states should speak with one voice and insist that the Doha process be honoured in letter and spirit. Peace will not come from endlessly changing venues. It will come from keeping promises already made.
