Angola’s President Declines Tshisekedi’s Request for Troops in Grand Katanga

Angolan President João Lourenço has reportedly declined a request from his Congolese counterpart, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, to deploy Angolan troops to secure the Grand Katanga region in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The issue was discussed during a brief visit by President Tshisekedi to Luanda last Sunday, where he held talks with President Lourenço. The trip, which lasted only a few hours, came amid growing security concerns in Kinshasa following recent developments in eastern Congo.

According to sources cited by journalist Steve Wembi, President Tshisekedi had sent a special message to his Angolan counterpart requesting military support, particularly the deployment of Angolan forces to Katanga province and the city of Lubumbashi. The request was reportedly motivated by fears that fighters from the AFC/M23 movement, who recently seized the city of Uvira in South Kivu, could expand their military operations toward the southern part of the country.

However, the same sources indicate that Angola rejected the request to send troops. Instead, President Lourenço is said to have advised Tshisekedi to prioritize dialogue and convene talks as a means of addressing the challenges facing the Congolese population.

The reported refusal marks a setback for Kinshasa’s efforts to mobilize regional military support at a time of heightened insecurity. Additional information suggests that President Tshisekedi has also encountered difficulties in securing troops from Chad. While discussions have taken place, no concrete agreement has been reached, and if the plan proceeds, more than 1,000 Chadian soldiers would not be expected to arrive in Kisangani before early 2026.