Dakar, Mar 12 (AP) Congo's government and the M23 rebel group will participate in peace talks on March 18, Angola said Wednesday.

A statement from Angolan President João Lourenço's office said they would begin “direct peace negotiations” in the Angolan capital, Luanda.

Also Read | Pakistan Train Hijack: Security Forces Claim Jaffar Express Train Operation Over, 30 BLA Militants and 28 Soldiers Killed, 346 Hostages Rescued.

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.

Congo President Felix Tshisekedi visited Angola on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of peace talks.

Also Read | 'Starlink, Welcome to India': Ashwini Vaishnaw's Message for Elon Musk's Starlink After US Telecom Giant Partners With Jio, Airtel, Says 'It Will Help Remote Railway Projects'.

Planned talks between Congo and Rwanda late last year were unexpectedly cancelled. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)