Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

United States

Military & Security

The Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group said it had overseen the deployment of interim civilian security and administration officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's eastern city of Uvira to take charge of security and administration until the deployment of a neutral force to the city, Radio France Internationale reported on Dec. 30.

Congo: M23-Linked Administration Emerges in Uvira After Rebels Withdraw Bulk of Forces 

Angola

Economics

The Lobito Atlantic Railway consortium signed a $553 million loan with the U.S. Development Finance Corp. and a $200 million loan with the Development Bank of Southern Africa, Reuters reported on Dec. 17.

Angola, Congo: Lobito Corridor Consortium Secures $753M in Financing for Rail Upgrade

Burundi

Politics

Corneille Nangaa, the leader of the Alliance for the Congo River -- a rebel coalition also known as the AFC and that includes the Rwandan-backed M23 -- announced in a statement on X dated Dec. 15 that the group would unilaterally withdraw its forces from the eastern Congolese city of Uvira at the request of the United States, Reuters reported on Dec. 16.

Congo: M23 Announces Plan To Withdraw From Uvira Amid U.S. Pressure

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels entered the city of Uvira, the second-largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's South Kivu province, despite calls from the United States and the European Union for the group to immediately halt its offensive, Radio Okapi reported Dec. 10. 

Congo: M23 Rebels Enter Eastern City of Uvira in Major Escalation

President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame signed the "Washington Accords," in which both sides reiterated their commitment to implementing their U.S.-brokered June peace deal, the U.S. State Department said in a press release on Dec. 4.

Congo, Rwanda: Tshisekedi Signs Peace Deal With Kagame, Strategic Partnership With U.S.

The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group signed a framework agreement for a peace deal on Nov. 15 in Qatar, Reuters reported the same day. 

Congo: Clashes Between Army and M23 Continue Despite Framework Agreement for Peace Deal 

The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group signed an agreement in Doha, Qatar, to establish a ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 14. 

Congo, Rwanda: Congolese Government and M23 Establish Mechanism To Monitor Ceasefire

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

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As 2026 approaches, we look back at the previous year and consider the top five patterns and trends as measured by geopolitical impact.

2025: A Geopolitical Review

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The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

Over the next decade, Kenya and Tanzania will compete for the title of East Africa's leading trade gateway, particularly as global demand for Central Africa's critical minerals grows. 

The Geopolitics of Trade: The Race to Unlock East Africa, Part 1 

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

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

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

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

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

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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

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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

<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: M23-Linked Administration Emerges in Uvira After Rebels Withdraw Bulk of Forces

Angola, Congo: Lobito Corridor Consortium Secures $753M in Financing for Rail Upgrade

Congo: M23 Announces Plan To Withdraw From Uvira Amid U.S. Pressure

Congo: M23 Rebels Enter Eastern City of Uvira in Major Escalation

Congo, Rwanda: Tshisekedi Signs Peace Deal With Kagame, Strategic Partnership With U.S.

Congo: Clashes Between Army and M23 Continue Despite Framework Agreement for Peace Deal

Congo, Rwanda: Congolese Government and M23 Establish Mechanism To Monitor Ceasefire

Congo: Former President Kabila Sentenced to Death in Absentia

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