Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rwanda

Military & Security

French President Emmanuel Macron urged Rwanda to "halt its support" for M23 rebels in eastern Congo as well as withdraw its troops from the region during a joint press conference with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, Le Monde reported April 20.

Congo, Rwanda: France Calls Rwanda to Withdraw Troops from Eastern Congo, Welcomes Tshisekedi's Commitment to Tackling FDLR 

United States

Economics

Law firm Amsterdam & Partners LLP asked U.S. technology company Apple to clarify the origin of the tin, tungsten and tantalum (3T) used in its supply chains on behalf of Congolese authorities, Reuters reported on April 25.

Congo: Law Firm Accuses Rwanda of Laundering Congolese Minerals, Threatens Legal Action

United Kingdom

Politics

The British government's Safety of Rwanda Bill, which aims to save a controversial plan to relocate asylum seekers to the African country, will become law after receiving the backing of the upper house, The Guardian reported on April 23.

U.K.: Parliament Approves Controversial Plan To Send Asylum Seekers to Rwanda

Mozambique

South Africa

Energy

South Africa completed the withdrawal of its 1,500 troops deployed to Mozambique's northern Cabo Delgado region as part of the Southern African Development Community's military mission in Mozambique, or SAMIM, Zitamar News reported on April 16. 

Mozambique: South Africa Completes Withdrawal From Cabo Delgado

Angola

Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio stated that Rwandan President Paul Kagame had agreed to meet with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi following a meeting with Angolan President Joao Lourenco amid worsening fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Radio France Internationale reported on March 12.

Congo, Rwanda: Angola Ramps Up Efforts To Convene Tshisekedi-Kagame Meeting

The U.N. Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or MONUSCO, began its withdrawal from the country's east, Reuters reported on Feb. 29.

Congo: U.N. Mission Begins Phased Withdrawal

Tanzania

Europe

Rwanda said it reserved the right to take "any legitimate measure" to defend itself, including degrading offensive air capabilities within the Democratic Republic of the Congo, amid the intensification of fighting in eastern Congo between Congolese authorities and M23 rebels, Africanews reported on Feb. 19.

Congo, Rwanda: Rwanda Rejects U.S. Calls To Withdraw Military Assets From Eastern Congo 

Malawi

South Africa will dispatch 2,900 soldiers to the Democratic Republic of the Congo's eastern regions as part of a 7,000 troop deployment from the Southern African Development Community, or SADC, to help Congolese authorities tackle the M23 rebel group, Reuters reported on Feb. 12.

Congo, South Africa: South Africa To Dispatch 2,900 Troops in Eastern Congo as Part of SADC Deployment 

Assessments

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

South Sudan

Cote d'Ivoire

Eritrea

Senegal

Sudan

Togo

Uganda

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

Snapshots

M23 fighters guard the area during a meeting between the rebel group and East African Regional Force (EACRF) officials at the Rumangabo camp in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Jan. 6, 2023.

The latest flare-up over an alleged airspace violation increases the risk of Congolese retaliatory measures that could limit the progress of peace processes in eastern Congo.

Rwanda's Attack on a Congolese Jet Escalates Border Tensions

Media

Podcasts

We discuss the latest flare-up of violence near the country's eastern border with Rwanda and what it means for other nearby nations. 


Essential Geopolitics: What’s Going on in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?

Kenya

Colombia

China

Taiwan

A Chinese military vessel on Aug. 5, 2022, sails off Pingtan Island, Fujian province, one of mainland China's closest points to Taiwan. Beijing is likely to continue rolling out new methods of economic coercion against U.S. and Taiwanese companies in the coming week.

U.S.-China Relations

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

The Weekly Rundown: Colombia's President Takes Office, China Coerces Taiwan

A Congolese army tank heads toward the eastern city of Goma on May 25, 2022, amid clashes with M23 rebels. 

Rwanda’s alleged support of militants active in eastern Congo will continue to undermine efforts to restore stability in the war-torn, resource-rich region.

Rwanda's Role in Congo’s Forever War

Burundi

The president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, speaks during the African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Feb. 5, 2022.

Security

East African Integration

Congo's ports will grant the East African Community access to the Atlantic Ocean, but the country's overall poor infrastructure and security will limit the volume of trade with other bloc members. 

How Congo's EAC Membership Will Alter Trade in East Africa

A military convoy from a multinational intervention force on Aug. 5, 2021, in Pemba, Mozambique. Islamic State-backed militants appear to be shifting to a guerrilla insurgency in northern Mozambique, while intervening countries face a risk of reprisal attacks at home.

The Fight Against the Islamic State

Islamic State-backed militants appear to be shifting to a guerrilla insurgency in northern Mozambique, while intervening countries face a risk of reprisal attacks at home.

In Mozambique, a Victory Against Jihadists Likely Signals a New Guerrilla Campaign

Columns

On Security

Belarus

Russia

Saudi Arabia

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko on May 28, 2021, in Minsk, Belarus. Sanctions and expulsions might not outweigh the benefits for Minsk of suppressing its exiled opposition.

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

Sanctions and expulsions might not outweigh the benefits for Minsk of suppressing its exiled opposition.

Belarus Might Find Its RyanAir Forced Landing Worth The Blowback

Guidance

Australia

France

Iran

The Iranian flag on March 1, 2021. ran's Guardian Council is expected to publish by May 27 its preliminary list of qualified candidates to run in the upcoming presidential election. 

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

The Weekly Rundown: Iranian Candidates, an Australian's Trial in China

Wider geopolitical factors ultimately led Hutus to kill their Tutsi neighbors in 1994.

Old Leaders in a New Africa

The murder of close to 1 million Tutsis and moderate Hutus in 1994 didn't occur in a vacuum. Instead, a battle between opposing forces on the continent laid the ground for the frenzy of violence. 

The Geopolitical Roots of the Rwandan Genocide

Even with a regional spread, the nature of the disease means the threat to the world at large remains very small.

Congo: Attacks on Ebola Clinics Complicate Efforts to Stop a Regional Outbreak

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, Rwanda: France Calls Rwanda to Withdraw Troops from Eastern Congo, Welcomes Tshisekedi's Commitment to Tackling FDLR

Congo: Law Firm Accuses Rwanda of Laundering Congolese Minerals, Threatens Legal Action

U.K.: Parliament Approves Controversial Plan To Send Asylum Seekers to Rwanda

Mozambique: South Africa Completes Withdrawal From Cabo Delgado

Congo, Rwanda: Angola Ramps Up Efforts To Convene Tshisekedi-Kagame Meeting

Congo: U.N. Mission Begins Phased Withdrawal

Congo, Rwanda: Rwanda Rejects U.S. Calls To Withdraw Military Assets From Eastern Congo

Congo, South Africa: South Africa To Dispatch 2,900 Troops in Eastern Congo as Part of SADC Deployment

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