Burundi

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

Military & Security

Politics

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 

Angola

Kenya

Tanzania

Angola's presidency said it would relinquish the country's role as the chief mediator in the conflict between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and the Alliance for the Congo River, a coalition led by the Rwandan-backed M23, Reuters reported on March 24. 

Congo: Angola Relinquishes Role as Conflict Mediator, AFC/M23 Remains in Walikale  

The Alliance for the Congo River, or AFC, a politico-military alliance led by the Rwandan-backed M23, captured the town of Walikale in the western part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's eastern North Kivu province, Reuters reported on March 20. 

Congo: AFC/M23 Edges Closer to Central Congo Despite Ceasefire Announcement   

Qatar

The presidents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda met in Doha, Qatar, for the first time since the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group captured Congo's eastern cities of Goma and Bukavu earlier this year, a statement by Qatar’s foreign ministry read on March 18. 

Rwanda, Congo: Presidential Meeting in Qatar Bodes Well for Peace Talks

The Alliance for the Congo River, or AFC, and the Rwandan-backed M23 announced that they would not partake in direct peace talks with the Democratic Republic of the Congo's government in Angola due to the imposition of sanctions by "certain institutions" on AFC/M23 members, Reuters reported on March 17. 

Congo: AFC/M23 Backs Out of Direct Talks With Kinshasa Over Western Sanctions

The Southern African Development Community, or SADC, agreed at a virtual summit on March 13 to end the mandate of the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or SAMIDRC, according to a communique published on X.

Congo: SADC Calls for 'Phased Withdrawal' of Troops in Eastern Congo

Angola's presidency said it would broker the start of direct talks between the Democratic Republic of the Congo's government and the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group in the "coming days" following a meeting between Angolan President Joao Lourenco and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, Radio France Internationale reported on March 12.

Congo: Angola Says It Will Broker Direct Talks Between Kinshasa and M23 Within Days 

United States

Economics

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The U.S. State Department said it was "open" to discussing a partnership with the Democratic Republic of the Congo on critical minerals, Bloomberg reported on March 4. 

Congo: Trump Administration 'Open' To Minerals Deal With Kinshasa 

Assessments

Chad

Uganda

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

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

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

China

Indonesia

Europe

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

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

Zambia

Marshall Islands

Palau

Taiwan

Tuvalu

U.S. President Joe Biden and President Joao Lourenco of Angola on Nov. 30, 2023, at the White House. Biden on Dec. 2-4 will visit Angola, where he will focus on the Lobito Corridor project that aims to refurbish and expand railways connecting critical mineral-rich regions in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo with the Angolan port of Lobito.

U.S.-China Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Biden Visits Angola, von der Leyen's Second Term

Workers move batches of copper sheets on July 6, 2016, in Mufulira, Zambia. Zambia's copper output will likely steadily increase by the late 2020s on the back of a more stable tax environment and a global rush for critical minerals, but the country faces an uphill battle to meet its 2032 copper production target.

Zambia's copper output will likely steadily increase by the late 2020s on the back of a more stable tax environment and a global rush for critical minerals, but the country faces an uphill battle to meet its 2032 copper production target.

Zambia Banks on the Green Rush for Copper 

<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

Burundi: President Ndayishimiye Warns Rwanda Is Planning To Attack

Congo: Angola Relinquishes Role as Conflict Mediator, AFC/M23 Remains in Walikale

Congo: AFC/M23 Edges Closer to Central Congo Despite Ceasefire Announcement

Rwanda, Congo: Presidential Meeting in Qatar Bodes Well for Peace Talks

Congo: AFC/M23 Backs Out of Direct Talks With Kinshasa Over Western Sanctions

Congo: SADC Calls for 'Phased Withdrawal' of Troops in Eastern Congo

Congo: Angola Says It Will Broker Direct Talks Between Kinshasa and M23 Within Days

Congo: Trump Administration 'Open' To Minerals Deal With Kinshasa

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