Demokratische Republik Kongo

Leader of the M23 group says its rebellion in eastern DR Congo is a ‘defensive’ one, hopes for dialogue with Kinshasa.

Persistent violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo affected the security and humanitarian situation. … The present report covers investigations conducted up to 8 November 2024.

[…] Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame were due to meet Sunday, hosted by Angolan President Joao Lourenco, the African Union mediator to end the conflict. But the summit was abruptly canceled after talks between delegations from both sides stalled overnight.

[…] Bintou Keita, who also heads the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO, reported on the instability in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, particularly operations by four armed groups: ADF, M23, CODECO and Zaïre. She applauded efforts to quell the violence there and in the wider region, highlighting mediation efforts led by Angola, known as the Luanda process.

Three years after Ugandan troops crossed into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to fight rebels linked to the Islamic State, their mission has yielded mixed results, with accusations that Kampala is secretly supporting another Congolese rebel group raising questions about its motives. 

Ceasefire-broker Angola will host a summit on December 15 to advance peace talks between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda about the DRC's troubled east, the presidency said on Monday.

[…] On Monday, Kinshasa and Kigali's foreign ministers approved a concept of operations document, a "key instrument" supposed to set out the terms by which Rwandan troops will disengage from Congolese territory, Angola's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Pascal Kambale, a Congolese researcher and human rights lawyer based in Goma, helps unpack the complex array of security actors present in the eastern DRC and how they are perceived by local Congolese.

Opposition politicians in Democratic Republic of Congo called on Wednesday for nationwide protests against President Felix Tshisekedi's plans to revise the constitution. Sworn into office in January for a second and final term, Tshisekedi said in October a commission would be established to suggest potential changes to the constitution. Critics have said it could be a tactic to remove term limits and allow him to run again.

Southern Africa's regional bloc on Wednesday extended by a year its troop deployment in Democratic Republic of Congo, where it is helping the government fight rebel groups.