Spotlight | DRC, Rwanda
Diplomatic cat and mouse from New York to Paris over Rwanda's alleged support for M23 rebels

DRC
French government reshuffle delays DRC ambassador's accreditation

Despite being appointed DR Congo ambassador to Paris and Monaco in August, Emile Ngoy Kasongo has still not been able to present his credentials to the French authorities. The reason? The government reshuffle currently underway in Paris.

DRC
MONUSCO withdrawal plan remains unclear

The Democratic Republic of Congo has reaffirmed its wish to see the United Nations mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) begin its withdrawal on 1 January next year in accordance with a deal reached last year between Kinshasa and the UN.

Angola, DRC
Tshisekedi due in Luanda for ICGLR summit

The Congolese president, who is distancing himself from the East African Community, continues to be involved with other regional organisations and will shortly attend the next summit of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region in Luanda.

DRC
Disillusioned with EAC Regional Force, Kinshasa turns to SADC

Unhappy with the results of the regional force deployed by the East African Community, Kinshasa has once again turned to the Southern African Development Community for help trying to regain control of its eastern territory.

DRC
Paris dispatches mission to Kinshasa

Quentin Teisseire, the French foreign ministry's deputy director for Central Africa, will travel to Kinshasa this week.

Angola, Comoros islands
Great Lakes Conflict: Tete António expected in Moroni

Foreign Affairs Minister Tete António is scheduled to travel to the Comoros at the end of this month to discuss the unrest in eastern DRC.

DRC
EU set to grant €20m to the armed forces

The European Union is about to approve €20m in support for the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC).

Rwanda
Kagame calls shots in Rusesabagina affair

In revealing that discussions are taking place concerning the Belgian-Rwandan Paul Rusesabagina, who has been in detention since 2020, the Rwandan president is seeking to control the narrative on a diplomatically sensitive subject.

DRC
MONUSCO boss Keita to report to Security Council

Bintou Keita, the head of the UN mission in the DRC, MONUSCO, will travel to New York on 29 March to report to the UN Security Council on the current state of play.

Angola, DRC
Luanda and Doha support M23 mediation efforts as Kinshasa loses faith

Qatar and Angola have been consolidating their bilateral ties as they look for ways of supporting various sub-regional initiatives to mediate between the M23 rebel group and the DRC government.

Central Africa
Ali Bongo keen to mediate between Kinshasa and Kigali while head of ECCAS

Gabonese head of state Ali Bongo, who will shortly take over ECCAS's rotating presidency, is keen to be involved in resolving the DRC-Rwanda crisis.

DRC, France
Macron dispatches his advance guard to Kinshasa

In advance of his scheduled March visit, Emmanuel Macron this week dispatched his top adviser on Africa, Franck Paris, to Kinshasa to prepare for this politically sensitive trip.

DRC
MONUSCO unable to deploy its only gunship

For several months now, the United Nations mission in the DRC, MONUSCO, has been unable to deploy its only operational attack helicopter.

DRC, Qatar
Qatar disappointed by Tshisekedi's no-show

Qatari diplomats were due to host Paul Kagame and Félix Tshisekedi in Doha on 23 January, but the gathering was cancelled after Kinshasa pulled out at the last minute. A decision that came as a surprise to Qatar, given that it was Tshisekedi who had requested mediation in the conflict in eastern DRC.

Kenya
Kenyatta seeks $10m for his new mediation institute

The main aim of the new entity, which bears the name of the former president, is to forge strategic partnerships and raise money for its conflict-resolution work in DRC and Ethiopia.

African Union, Comoros islands, Rwanda
M23: Vincent Biruta lobbies Azali Assoumani

Officially, Vincent Biruta visited Moroni on 16 January to sign partnerships that had been planned for several years between Rwanda and the Comoros. In reality, it was to talk about the DRC.

DRC
French MP Carlos Martens Bilongo to make first ever visit to DRC

The French MP Carlos Martens Bilongo (La France Insoumise-Nupes), a member of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee, will be in Kinshasa for work from 22-26 January.

DRC, Rwanda
DRC security services detain alleged Rwandan spies

A dozen Rwandan nationals are being held in incommunicado detention by the Congolese security services. At least five are suspected by Kinshasa of being spies in the service of Paul Kagame - an allegation that Kigali denies.

Senegal
AU fertiliser summit backed by Bill Gates Foundation

To address the severe impact of rising food prices in several African countries, the AU is organising the African Union Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit from 23 to 30 June in Dakar.

Burundi, South Sudan, Uganda
Interpol beefs up surveillance in East Africa

Interpol is seeking contractors to upgrade and expand its border surveillance systems in three East African countries: Burundi, South Sudan and Uganda.

DRC, France
Chrysoula Zacharopoulou to pave way for Macron's trip to Kinshasa

French Secretary of State for Development, the French-speaking diaspora and International Partnerships, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, will travel to Kinshasa mid-December to prepare for Emmanuel Macron's upcoming visit.

DRC
Congolese army seeks to coordinate operations in eastern DRC

The Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) are looking to simplify the decision-making process in conducting the military response to various rebel groups, particularly the M23.

India
Narendra Modi's team to look into African Union joining G20

The decision on whether to initiate the process to admit the African Union to the G20 will largely fall to the Indian PM Narendra Modi, who will be overseeing the next summit of the organisation in India in 2023.

European Union, Mozambique, Rwanda
Kigali poised to receive €20m from EU to fund its military intervention in Cabo Delgado

The EU, through the European Peace Facility, could delay by a few weeks the release of its €20m aid package to finance Kigali's military intervention in the Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado.

Chad
Kaka's reprieve from the African Union PSC explained

The ruling junta in N'Djamena has succeeded in avoiding suspension from the AU. Its subtle game of dividing the Peace and Security Council's 15 members has paid off.

DRC, Rwanda
Regional diplomatic efforts focus on former M23 leader

A delegation led by a senior Tanzanian officer recently met in Rwanda with Jean-Marie Runiga, the leader of a dissident branch of the M23, on behalf of International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.

DRC
MONUSCO still hunting for helicopters and heavy artillery

The UN force in the DRC needs more and better firepower to counter M23 rebels. After having turned unsuccessfully to South Africa, MONUSCO is now trying its luck with Jordan and Egypt.

Guinea
MEP Marie Arena scrutinises human rights in Guinea

The MEP Marie Arena is considering an emergency resolution on human rights violations allegedly committed in Guinea by the junta led by Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya.

Palace Intrigues
Vital Kamerhe, OIF summit, Denis Sassou Nguesso, François Gouyette

Intrigues big and small... Every Tuesday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.

DRC President Tshisekedi's promise to Vital Kamerhe

Africa French-speaking nations summit brought forward due to World Cup clash

Congo Sassou's luxury Airbus A340

France-Algeria French ambassador in Algiers, François Gouyette, still struggles to find his feet

DRC, Qatar
Secret airport review reveals extensive shortcomings

A report by the DRC's civil aviation authority has lifted the veil on the main obstacles to the country's airports obtaining international certification.

Tanzania
Insecurity prompts Zanzibar to review its lucrative island leasing

The Tanzanian central government is planning to boost its security presence in the Zanzibar archipelago and in recent months has struck security cooperation deals with India and Mozambique.

DRC, Rwanda
Rwanda standoff divides Tshisekedi's inner circle

The DRC president's confrontational stance towards Rwanda in his address to the UN General Assembly was in line with that of several of his government colleagues. Other advisers are trying to soften his tone in the hope of conciliation.

Africa
EU pushes ahead on roadmap with the AU

The European Union (EU) and African Union (AU) joint committee is to convene in Brussels on 30 November.

Central Africa, DRC
EAC still looking for funding for regional force in eastern DR Congo

East African Community (EAC) member countries are looking for new contributors to a special fund set up to finance a regional force intended to pacify eastern DR Congo. The amounts raised so far have been relatively small.

Benin, Rwanda
Rwanda firms up its plans for military support

Revealed by Africa Intelligence, the new military accord between Kigali and Cotonou that is in the process of being finalised should see Rwandan soldiers being deployed to Benin in the near future, with a particular focus on supporting Benin's special forces in the north of the country.

Egypt
Egypt's top GERD specialist heads to Abu Dhabi

Egypt has a knack for picking its best diplomats to tackle the challenges at hand, as illustrated by its latest choice of new ambassador to the UAE.

African Union, United States
A French speaker to represent US in African Union

Following US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's Africa tour, the African diplomatic community is now waiting for the new US representative to the African Union to take office.

Central Africa
Great Lakes verification mechanism sees final days as DRC-M23 conflict drags on

The Joint Expanded Verification Mechanism, a little-known military cooperation body headed by an Angolan general, was supposed to investigate security incidents in the eastern DRC on behalf of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.

Spotlight | DRC
MONUSCO seeks to boost military arsenal to contend with M23

Caught off guard by the M23 rebels' firepower, the UN force in the DRC is seeking to equip itself accordingly. It is asking contributing countries for heavy artillery and attack helicopters.

Africa
Rwanda pips Algeria to host HQ of new African Medicines Agency

Paul Kagame and his teams had to battle right up to the line to ensure that Kigali will serve as the headquarters for the new African Union body. The support of Morocco was key to Rwanda's victory.

DRC, Rwanda
Kagame dispatches his spy masters to Kinshasa

Breaking news published on 15/07/22, 18:45 - According to Africa Intelligence, a delegation of senior Rwandan intelligence officials travelled to Kinshasa on 12 July for a secret meeting with the Congolese services.

Ethiopia
Russian foreign minister Lavrov to meet African Union in Addis

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be in #Ethiopia on 26 and 27 July and is expected to meet there with several ambassadors to the African Union.

DRC, East Africa
East African Community sets out battle plan for regional force in eastern DRC

While the head of Congolese diplomacy travelled to Arusha to finalise membership of the East African Community, the regional organisation's military leaders are preparing to send troops. The Congolese army chief of staff signed a confidential document with his counterparts detailing it.

DRC
France, UK and US seek to block Russian ambitions in DRC

Put on alert by the turn of events in the Central African Republic and Mali, Western powers are worried about a potential rapprochement between the DRC and Russia and are hoping the UN will at least continue to enforce its arms embargo in the country.

France
France discusses its FARM food security plan with major agricultural commodities traders

France recently brought together the largest international traders to support its initiative towards the countries most dependent on agricultural imports. But NGOs fear that the FARM Task Force overlooks longer-term agricultural issues in Africa.