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 

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

Economics

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.

Central African Republic

Central African Republic (CAR) President Faustin Touadera met with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Kigali on Nov. 23, where they discussed security matters related to CAR's Dec. 28 presidential election and broader areas of bilateral collaboration, including infrastructure development, health and mining sectors, Jeune Afrique reported Nov. 26.

Central African Republic, Rwanda: Leaders Discuss Security Ahead of CAR's Presidential Election 

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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Science & Technology

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

Kenya

Tanzania

Uganda

The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

Kenya and Tanzania's infrastructure buildup will support East Africa's industrialization but will also depend on a range of other factors, including regional integration, shifts in the international trading system and technological changes.

The Geopolitics of Trade: The Race to Unlock East Africa, Part 2

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Zambia

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

Members of the Unity for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC) rebel group gather at the DDR (disarmament, demobilization and reintegration) site in Maloum, the Central African Republic, on July 24. 2025.

The dissolution of key rebel groups and the reintegration of ex-fighters could stabilize the country after years of conflict, but the process will remain fragile amid funding challenges and potential attacks from non-signatories.

Central African Republic's New Peace Deal Holds Promise, but Challenges Persist

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Central African Republic, Rwanda: Leaders Discuss Security Ahead of CAR's Presidential Election

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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