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

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 

The Burundian military is still present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's eastern South Kivu province and has reinforced its military presence around the Congolese city of Uvira, Radio France Internationale reported on Feb. 26.

Congo, Burundi: Burundian Forces Reportedly Reinforcing Presence in Congo's South Kivu Province

United Kingdom

Economics

The United Kingdom announced that it would suspend most of its foreign aid to Rwanda in response to its support for the M23 rebel group in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, including trade facilitation, Reuters reported on Feb. 26.

Rwanda, U.K.: Britain Suspends Foreign Aid to Rwanda, Warns of Sanctions 

Chad

The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo requested military support from Chad in its fight against the Alliance for the Congo River, or AFC, a politico-military alliance led by the Rwandan-backed M23, Radio France Internationale reported on Feb. 19. 

Congo: Kinshasa Requests Military Support From Chad as AFC/M23 Sustains Gains in South Kivu

Assessments

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

United States

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

Canada

Mexico

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

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?

Sub-Saharan Africa

Cote d'Ivoire

Eritrea

Senegal

Sudan

Togo

People flee their neighborhoods in Khartoum, Sudan, amid fighting between the army and paramilitary troops on April 19, 2023. 

Government institutions in eastern and western Africa remain relatively strong, but potential succession crises, simmering unrest and weak leaders still pose latent risks.

Assessing the Risk of Future African Coups, Part 2: West and East Africa

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

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

Congo, Burundi: Burundian Forces Reportedly Reinforcing Presence in Congo's South Kivu Province

Rwanda, U.K.: Britain Suspends Foreign Aid to Rwanda, Warns of Sanctions

Congo: Kinshasa Requests Military Support From Chad as AFC/M23 Sustains Gains in South Kivu

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