Democratic Republic of Congo will send a delegation to Angola on Tuesday for talks aiming to resolve a spiralling conflict against Rwandan-backed rebels in the east, the presidency said on Sunday.

The Democratic Republic of Congo will send a delegation to Angola to engage in peace talks with M23 rebels, supported by Rwanda. Discussions are set to commence on March 18 in Luanda. The Congo president,

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.

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.

The Democratic Republic of Congo plans to send a delegation to Angola for peace talks with Rwandan-backed M23 rebels. This initiative follows Angola's invitation for dialogue aimed at resolving ongoing conflicts in eastern Congo.

Angolan President João Lourenço, currently chair of the African Union, has called for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). President Lourenço on Saturday called for a ceasefire ahead of peace talks he will be hosting.

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. The Southern African country has been trying to mediate a lasting ceasefire and de-escalate tensions between Congo and neighbouring Rwanda,

Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels will engage in direct negotiations in the coming days to end the conflict in the country’s mineral-rich east, according to the presidency of Angola, which will mediate the talks.

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. M23 seized Bukavu, eastern Congo’s second biggest city, last month.

Angola said on Tuesday it would attempt to broker direct talks between Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in the coming days.