Belgium and Rwanda announced the expulsion of each other's diplomats, as relations deteriorated over allegations about their respective roles in the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The government of Rwanda notified Belgium of its decision to sever diplomatic relations, effective immediately, according to a statement posted on X by the African nation’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Congo's government will participate in peace talks in Angola on Tuesday with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group that has captured key areas of Congo’s mineral-rich east, a spokesperson said Monday.

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels said on Monday they would send a delegation to peace talks with Democratic Republic of Congo's government that are expected to begin on Tuesday in Angola's capital. (Reporting by Congo newsroom;

President Felix Tshisekedi, who has long ruled out dialogue with M23, considered changing his position after a string of defeats as regional support for Congo has waned.