Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

Military & Security

Politics

Joseph Kabila, who served president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2001 to 2019, has been sentenced to death in absentia by the high military court in Kinshasa, Jeune Afrique reported on Sept. 30.

Congo: Former President Kabila Sentenced to Death in Absentia

The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda issued a joint statement in which they agreed to begin implementing the security measures of their June peace agreement from October onward, Reuters reported on Sept. 25.

Congo, Rwanda: Kinshasa and Kigali To Begin Implementing Security Measures of June Peace Deal

The president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's National Assembly, Vital Kamerhe, resigned from his position amid mounting support for petitions aimed at impeaching him, Jeune Afrique reported on Sept. 22. 

Congo: President of National Assembly Resigns Amid Petitions From Within Tshisekedi’s Party 

Economics

The Democratic Republic of the Congo's critical minerals regulator announced that the country would lift its cobalt export ban and transition to a cobalt export quota system starting Oct. 16, Reuters reported on Sept. 21. 

Congo: Kinshasa Announces End of Cobalt Export Ban, Pivots to Export Quota

Wazalendo militias issued a memo to Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi laying out a number of demands in return for their continued loyalty to the Congolese government, Radio France Internationale reported on Sept. 17.

Congo: Wazalendo Militias Issue Slew of Demands to Tshisekedi

The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda agreed on a draft framework in which they pledged to work with the United States and other partners to de-risk private sector investments in their mineral supply chains, Reuters reported on Sept. 14, based on conversations with an unnamed source.

Congo: Government Reportedly Agrees on Draft Trade Framework for Minerals With Rwanda

United States

Qatar

Qatar forwarded a draft peace deal to the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Rwandan-backed M23 that would involve a seven-month phased approach to resolving their conflict, Jeune Afrique reported on Aug. 18.

Congo: Qatar Forwards Draft Peace Deal With M23

Burundi

Kenya

Tanzania

Uganda

China

Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa and Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye inaugurated the start of works on a new $2.15 billion, 300-kilometer (about 186-mile) Standard Gauge Railway that will connect Tanzania's eastern city of Uvinza to the Burundian town of Musongati, The Chanzo reported on Aug. 17.

Tanzania: Government Kicks Off Construction of $2.15B Standard Gauge Railway to Burundi

Assessments

Europe

The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

Persistent conflict and armed group control in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will sustain significant legal, financial and reputational pressures on companies sourcing critical minerals from the region for the foreseeable future.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Due Diligence and Congo's Critical Minerals

Snapshots

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C) speaks during a peace agreement signing ceremony between Congolese Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner (R) and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe in the Treaty Room of the State Department in Washington, D.C., on June 27, 2025. 

The peace agreement opens Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo up to significant economic opportunities, but disagreements over interpretation and continued proxy violence risk stalling the deal’s implementation.

A Fragile Peace Takes Shape Between Congo and Rwanda

Iran

Israel

Ukraine

Russia

Israeli air defense systems are activated to intercept Iranian missiles over the Israeli city of Tel Aviv early on June 18, 2025. 

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Israel-Iran Conflict Rages On, NATO Holds Annual Summit

M23 fighters are seen at the main border crossing between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda in Goma on March 1, 2025.

Mediation efforts from the Trump administration will likely see the two African countries ink a peace deal in the coming months, but implementation will prove challenging, sustaining the risk of a new military escalation in eastern Congo.

U.S. Mediation Brings Congo and Rwanda Closer to a Peace Deal

Chad

Members of the M23 rebel group are seen in Bukavu, eastern Congo, after the takeover of the city on Feb. 20, 2025.

Burundi's reported troop withdrawal and Uganda's apparent unwillingness to intervene against the AFC/M23 rebel group will limit the immediate risk of an escalating interstate conflict, but this could change if the rebels start advancing toward central Congo.

Assessing the Risk of an Expanded Conflict in Congo

Ethiopia

Lebanon

Palestinian Territories

Sri Lanka

Damage on Feb. 13 in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Social Issues

The Weekly Rundown: Mideast Ceasefires and Arab Gaza Proposals, the AU Summit

Angola

An M23 fighter stands in the foreground as detained Congolese soldiers are loaded onto trucks on Jan. 30, 2025, in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Unless the Congolese government agrees to enter direct talks, Rwanda-backed rebels will likely resume their advance toward the city of Bukavu, whose fall would expose Congo to mounting instability, including nationwide unrest and a potential military coup.

Fighting in Eastern Congo Reaches a Crossroads as Rebels Press Southward

Media

Podcasts

Essential Geopolitics: Increased Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Sub-Saharan Africa

Americas

Brazil

Colombia

Cuba

Haiti

Nicaragua

Venezuela

Iraq

Jordan

Syria

Yemen

Cambodia

Indonesia

North Macedonia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Serbia

Albania

Kosovo

South Asia

Afghanistan

Bangladesh

India

The lobby of the headquarters for the U.S. Agency for International Development is seen on Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Cuts to U.S.-funded humanitarian and development programs could worsen global health outcomes, destabilize security environments, accelerate democratic backsliding, and create opportunities for rival powers to expand their influence.

The Global Implications of Trump's Foreign Aid Cuts

Canada

Mexico

United Kingdom

Trucks wait to enter United States on Nov. 26, 2024, at the Otay crossing port in Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico.

The Weekly Rundown: Trump's Tariffs, Congo Braces for More Fighting in the East

A member of the M23 armed group walks alongside residents through a neighborhood in Goma, eastern Congo, on Jan. 27, 2025. 

The M23's entry into the eastern city will give Tshisekedi little choice but to engage in politically risky talks with the Rwanda-backed rebel group, or allow the conflict to expand and escalate.

M23 Advances in Goma Put Congo's President in a Tight Spot

South Sudan

Central African Republic

Mozambique

A Rwandan soldier walks in front of a burned truck near Palma in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado region on Sept. 22, 2021. 

Rwanda’s expanding troop deployments in other African countries seek to enhance its regional political and economic influence, but entail risks that could harm its operations and reputation.

Rwanda's Growing Military Influence in Africa: Opportunities and Risks

<p>The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a massive country in Central Africa. It is bordered by the Central African Republic and South Sudan to the north; Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania to the east; Zambia and Angola to the south; and the Republic of the Congo to the west. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is roughly the size of Western Europe, and much of its territory is covered by dense jungle and is difficult to navigate. Its mammoth size and position in Central Africa have long drawn interest from outsiders. From the French and Belgian imperial conquests of the Congo River in the 19th and early 20th centuries to Cold War superpower intrigue and regional wars in the post-independence period, the country has attracted more than its fair share of foreign meddling. Since independence, the country has struggled to manage its extensive territories and its ethnic and regional divisions. It can be said that under the best of circumstances, the country is weak and prone to internal cleavages. Kinshasa, the political capital, simply does not have the resources to exercise a monopoly on force. By extension, the country&#39;s infrastructure remains woefully underdeveloped. Instead, the decades since independence have seen countless rebellions and other forms of insurrection in Katanga and other regions. Given this instability, the country&#39;s deep pockets of natural resources and its security vacuums have made it an attractive place for neighboring states and foreign powers to intrude. In regional terms, this has included Rwanda, Uganda and many other states over the years, and the United States and the Soviet Union fought for influence there after 1960. Additionally, the U.N. presence in the Congo is one of the longest-running operations for the international organization, tracing its origins back to 1960. The country&#39;s unwieldy size and difficult terrain profoundly constrain any movement beyond its status as a failed state. As such, it will remain a source of interest and concern for states near and far for many years to come.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Congo: Former President Kabila Sentenced to Death in Absentia

Congo, Rwanda: Kinshasa and Kigali To Begin Implementing Security Measures of June Peace Deal

Congo: President of National Assembly Resigns Amid Petitions From Within Tshisekedi’s Party

Congo: Kinshasa Announces End of Cobalt Export Ban, Pivots to Export Quota

Congo: Wazalendo Militias Issue Slew of Demands to Tshisekedi

Congo: Government Reportedly Agrees on Draft Trade Framework for Minerals With Rwanda

Congo: Qatar Forwards Draft Peace Deal With M23

Tanzania: Government Kicks Off Construction of $2.15B Standard Gauge Railway to Burundi

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