Demokratische Republik Kongo

Lavrov has already visited Egypt and will head to Uganda as Moscow aims at strengthening its ties with the continent.

Clashes have broken out in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo between its military and M23 rebels, a civil society and a rebel source said, a day after a bilateral agreement to de-escalate diplomatic tensions over the rebellion.

[…] The AFP news agency reported that a roadmap toward normalizing diplomatic ties between Congo and Rwanda included ending hostilities between rebel groups of Congo, M23 and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, known by their French initials FDLR.

The top U.N. official for the Democratic Republic of the Congo said Wednesday that the resurgent M23 rebel group in the country’s east is well-armed and equipped, posing a growing threat to civilians.

By allowing Uganda and Burundi to enter the troubled region to pursue their enemies, Tshisekedi has provoked a backlash from Kagame.

Preparations for the 2023 elections and political efforts to address insecurity in the eastern provinces marked the reporting period.

East African leaders meeting in Kenya have agreed to deploy a Kenya-led regional security force to stop the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Weeks of fighting between DRC troops and rebels has raised tensions between the DRC and Rwanda. Congo accuses its neighbor of supporting the rebels, something Rwanda denies.

The UN Commission on Human Rights is alarmed over the rising tensions and hate speech in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as EAC Heads of State met in Nairobi on Monday to discuss the security situation.

The seven countries of the East African Community (EAC), which Congo joined this year, agreed in April to set up a joint force but had not specified when it might be deployed.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s military has accused Rwanda of “no less than an invasion” after M23 rebels captured a key border town, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions between the two Central African neighbours. Kinshasa’s military vowed on Monday that its forces would defend their homeland, hours after the Congolese town of Bunagana fell into the hands of the M23.