Despite the risks from deadly armed groups roaming the countryside, Judith Kahindo walks alone every day to her isolated cocoa plantation in the war-torn North Kivu region of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

DR CONGO: Peace talks between the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) and M23 rebels will begin on March 18, Angola announced on Wednesday, as it attempts to mediate a long-term ceasefire in the conflict-torn Central African nation.

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)

Mine shafts snake under the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's mountains, but instead of the Congolese government their rich veins are making a mint for the Rwanda-backed M23.

M23 fighters, backed by Rwanda, continue to advance into eastern DR Congo. While the rebels are outnumbered by the Congolese army, DW examines whether the military has the capacity to respond effectively.

Advancing anti-government fighters in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo forced the temporary closure of the world's third most productive tin mine, its operator said in a statement received by AFP Friday.