Rwanda

Tanzania

Uganda

Economics

Officials of the state-owned Tanzania Railway Corp. said commercial freight operations were set to begin on the newly built Standard Gauge Railway connecting Tanzania's port city of Dar es Salaam to the capital Dodoma, The Citizen reported on June 4.

Tanzania: Rail Freight Operations To Begin Between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Military & Security

Politics

Former President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Joseph Kabila made his first public appearance in the country since 2023 in the city of Goma, held by the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels, Jeune Afrique reported on May 30.

Congo: Former President Kabila Makes Public Appearance in Goma  

United States

Senior adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump Massad Boulos said the United States is pushing the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda to sign a formal peace deal in two months, Reuters reported on May 1.

Congo, Rwanda: Trump Administration Eyes Peace Agreement, Mineral Deals in Two Months

The Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group seized the town of Kaziba in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's South Kivu province following clashes with the Congolese military and pro-government Wazalendo militias despite the group's commitment to advance a ceasefire, Radio Okapi reported on April 28. 

Congo: Fighting Continues Despite U.S.-Brokered 'Declaration of Principles' With Rwanda

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will receive Congolese Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and her Rwandan counterpart, Olivier Nduhungirehe, who are due to sign a "declaration of principles," Jeune Afrique reported on April 25.

Congo: U.S. Secretary Marco Rubio To Receive Congolese and Rwandan Counterparts for 'Peace Pathway Deal'

Mozambique

Rwandan security forces deployed in Mozambique's northern Cabo Delgado province have been accused of limiting or delaying responses to protect civilians during attacks by Islamic State Mozambique Province insurgents, Armed Conflict Location and Event Data reported on April 23.

Mozambique: Further Reports Accuse Rwandan Forces of Delaying Responses to Insurgent Attacks

The Africa Adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, Massad Boulos, called on Rwanda to halt all military support to the M23 rebel group and withdraw its troops from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, adding that the United States was considering "all economic and diplomatic means to promote peace" in the region, Bloomberg reported on April 17. 

Congo, Rwanda: U.S. Hints at Further Pressure on Rwanda as M23 Shows Signs of Weakness

Burundi

Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye claimed Rwanda was planning to attack Burundi by using proxy fighters, according to an interview with the BBC published on March 25. 

Burundi: President Ndayishimiye Warns Rwanda Is Planning To Attack 

Assessments

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

Kenya

Israel

Lebanon

Palestinian Territories

Ukraine

Russia

Sri Lanka

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

Israel-Hamas Conflict

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Social Issues

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

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

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

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

What is the future trajectory of the peace process?

Essential Geopolitics: Implications of Cancelled Peace Talks between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda

South Korea

Germany

A sign reading ''leader of insurgents'' on a photo of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's face is held up during a protest calling for Yoon's ouster in Seoul, South Korea, on Dec. 8, 2024. 

The Weekly Rundown: Putin's Annual Press Conference, Another Impeachment Vote in South Korea

China

Europe

Frelimo electoral posters are plastered on a wall in Maputo, Mozambique, on Aug. 24, 2024, the first day of the presidential campaign season ahead of the general election on Oct. 9, 2024.

Energy

Global Elections

Mozambique's upcoming general election will likely bring another five years of Frelimo rule, though an independent candidate is drawing LNG contracts to the forefront of the campaign season.

Mozambique's General Election Brings LNG Contracts Centerstage

Congolese soldiers sit in a military vehicle in Kamanyola, a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on Feb. 28, 2024. 

The intensifying fight against M23 rebels in eastern Congo risks triggering border clashes with Rwanda that could threaten Congolese President Tshisekedi's government and risk disrupting Congo's cobalt exports.

Where Is the Conflict in Eastern Congo Headed?

Rwanda is a landlocked African country located in Central and East Africa. It is bordered by Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west.    The country is firmly ensconced in Africa's Great Lakes region, which is dominated by bodies of water, such as Lake Victoria, that have acted as regional trade and communication thoroughfares for centuries or longer. Rwanda thus shares some linguistic and cultural similarities with Uganda, Kenya, Burundi and other Great Lakes countries. These ties have helped fuel the development of the East African Community, an intergovernmental organization charged with greater integration among its members.    Rwanda's greatest challenge is twofold. First, it must manage its ethnic diversity. The ethnic cleavages that were developed and fostered under Belgian colonialism helped drive the country to one of the 20th century's worst genocides. Since 1994, the capital city of Kigali has clamped down on many forms of dissent in order to maintain internal order. A critical question going forward is if Rwanda's political system can reform and open up to foster deeper reconciliation in the years ahead.    Rwanda must also manage its landlocked position. With no access to the sea, Rwanda must manage the high costs of doing business, in terms of exports and imports, and remains dependent on maintaining good relations with its coastal neighbors. In order to mitigate these constraints, Rwanda has tried to turn itself into the "Singapore of Central Africa," improving its internal infrastructure and pushing for regional infrastructure projects to help link it to markets beyond.

SITUATION REPORTS

Tanzania: Rail Freight Operations To Begin Between Dar es Salaam and Dodoma

Congo: Former President Kabila Makes Public Appearance in Goma

Congo, Rwanda: Trump Administration Eyes Peace Agreement, Mineral Deals in Two Months

Congo: Fighting Continues Despite U.S.-Brokered 'Declaration of Principles' With Rwanda

Congo: U.S. Secretary Marco Rubio To Receive Congolese and Rwandan Counterparts for 'Peace Pathway Deal'

Mozambique: Further Reports Accuse Rwandan Forces of Delaying Responses to Insurgent Attacks

Congo, Rwanda: U.S. Hints at Further Pressure on Rwanda as M23 Shows Signs of Weakness

Burundi: President Ndayishimiye Warns Rwanda Is Planning To Attack

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