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 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.

The DRC government and the M23 rebel group will hold direct peace talks in Luanda, Angola's capital, on March 18, the Angolan government announced late Wednesday. (Photo by Zanem Nety Zaidi/Xinhua)