Meloni revealed the planned expansion while speaking at the conference “Laying the groundwork for jobs in Africa” held at the Bank of Italy on Wednesday, where she outlined Italy’s broader strategy for economic partnership with African countries.
“The Matte Plan has involved 14 countries, and in 2026, we will extend it to another 4: Congo, Rwanda, Gabon, and Zambia,” Meloni said.
The Mattei Plan is a strategic initiative launched by the Italian government to promote what it describes as a “non-predatory” and equal partnership with African nations.
The programme focuses on key sectors such as energy, infrastructure, education, health, and agriculture.
Backed by more than €1.2 billion in funding, the plan aims to boost development in partner countries while also helping to address the root causes of irregular migration toward Europe.
Meloni also stressed that the success of cooperation with Africa should be judged by practical results.
“We believe that the effectiveness of cooperation is measured not by good intentions but by the concrete results it achieves in terms of jobs created, businesses supported, and investments mobilized.
“This is our approach, and we believe it should also be the approach Europe and the West adopt toward Africa: less fragmentation, more coordination, less rhetoric, more construction projects, fewer promises, more innovative and concrete financial instruments, less charity, more development,” she noted.
Currently, the initiative involves 14 partner countries. The initial pilot group includes Algeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco, Mozambique, and Tunisia.
Additional partners later added to the programme are Angola, Ghana, Senegal, Mauritania, and Tanzania.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced a plan to extend the ‘Mattei Plan’ to more African countries.
AFC/M23 stated that it conducted drone strikes on the airport on February 1 and March 1, 2026, targeting a section of the facility used by the DRC military and its allies.
The aim was to destroy part of the airport’s infrastructure utilized by the DRC military forces and their partners.
The alliance explained that the DRC military and its partners use the airport to prepare and launch drone strikes against AFC/M23 bases and civilians in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
Dr. Oscar Balinda, the Deputy Spokesperson for AFC/M23, revealed that the alliance has deployed commando units near Kisangani.
These units are tasked with carrying out operations aimed at disrupting the DRC’s plans to destabilize areas under AFC/M23 control.
“The commandos operate day and night, completing their missions and returning once the task is finished. Our goal is to halt this terror and restore peace so we can return to the negotiation table and work towards lasting peace,” he stated.
On March 2, 2026, AFC/M23 enrolled 1,518 special force recruits who were trained at the Rumangabo military camp in Rutshuru Territory.
The alliance clarified that these new recruits are specially trained commandos with advanced combat skills, prepared to undertake mobile operations and establish permanent bases.
Yannick Tshisola, Chief of Staff to AFC leader, hinted that these new fighters would be involved in future missions, similar to the recent strike on Bangoka International Airport.
Dr. Balinda stated that AFC/M23 fighters conduct targeted attacks in Kisangani before returning to their original positions.
The National News Agency reported that the victims included senior Hamas official Wassim Atallah al-Ali and his wife after an Israeli drone targeted their home in the camp.
One of al-Ali’s daughters was also injured and transferred to the hospital inside the camp for treatment.
Hezbollah on Monday fired missiles and drones toward Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike and for repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
Israel has responded with massive airstrikes on Hezbollah targets and deployed ground forces into southern Lebanon.
The report, produced by intelligence services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in February 2019, details the activities of a coalition of armed groups known as P5, which was reportedly formed with the aim of overthrowing the Government of Rwanda.
According to the document, the coalition brought together several political and armed groups, including the Rwanda National Congress (RNC) led by former Rwandan army officer Kayumba Nyamwasa; FDU-Inkingi associated with Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza; CNRD-FLN linked to Paul Rusesabagina; RUD-Urunana led by Nshimiyimana Cassien; and the FDLR commanded by Victor Byiringiro.
The report claims that fighters from this coalition were recruited and trained at a military camp in Bijabo, located in Balala-Sud Groupement in the Tanganyika sector of Fizi Territory, South Kivu.
On the night of January 22, 2019, more than 1,500 fighters from the FDLR reportedly moved from Masisi Territory in North Kivu toward Shanje in Lowa-Numbi, within the Buhavu Chiefdom, where they were expected to link up with other P5 elements led by Nyamwasa.
The document further alleges that the coalition intended to establish operational bases in Burundi before launching attacks into Rwanda. At the time, Burundi was led by former president Pierre Nkurunziza, whose government is said to have provided logistical support and coordination for the coalition’s activities.
According to the report, Agricole Ntirampeba, then a senior adviser to President Nkurunziza, was responsible for coordinating FDLR activities in the region.
He reportedly facilitated cooperation among the various P5 groups with the goal of strengthening their ability to destabilize Rwanda and attempt to overthrow its government.
The 2019 attack in Musanze
In October 2019, about 67 fighters affiliated with groups linked to the P5 coalition, mainly members of RUD-Urunana, entered Rwanda through Volcanoes National Park near Kinigi, close to the border with the DRC.
According to figures from the Rwandan government, the attackers killed 14 civilians and injured several others. Homes and businesses were looted, shops were destroyed, and food supplies were stolen during the assault.
Rwandan security forces launched operations to pursue the attackers, killing some and arresting others.
Those captured were later brought before the Military High Court in Kigali, where prosecutors charged them with crimes including membership in an illegal armed group, attempting to wage war against the state, and terrorism-related offenses.
Allegations of long-standing cooperation
The report also points to what it describes as a long-standing relationship between Burundi and the FDLR. According to the document, members of the armed group have at times found refuge in Burundi, and some of their activities have allegedly been facilitated from within the country.
It further claims that Burundi’s ambassador to Kinshasa at the time, Agricole Ntirampeba, helped facilitate communication between Félix Tshisekedi, president of the DRC, and the FDLR.
This reportedly contributed to joint military operations involving Congolese forces, the FDLR terrorist group formed by individuals responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and Burundian troops against the AFC/M23 coalition.
On December 5, 2019, the then commander of CNRD/FLN, Wilson Irategeka, was reportedly assisted by Burundian officials to travel to Bujumbura for medical treatment via Nyangezi-Ngomo and Kamanyola in South Kivu. Congolese soldiers stationed in the region allegedly helped transport him by motorcycle and ensured his security during the journey.
Recently, when asked about Burundi’s cooperation with the FDLR, President Évariste Ndayishimiye acknowledged the relationship, citing the adage: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
Critics argue that despite presenting himself as a stabilizing figure in the region, Ndayishimiye’s policies and continued engagement with armed groups have contributed to ongoing instability in the Great Lakes Region.
Attackers were tried before the Military High Court.Some of arrested assailants who took part in Kinigi attack in 2019.
Burundi, the current chair of the African Union, has nominated Macky Sall, former president of Senegal, while Costa Rica has put forward Rebeca Grynspan, economist and former vice president of Costa Rica, for the post.
With the new nominations, there are currently four candidates vying for the position. The other two candidates are former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, nominated by Chile, Brazil and Mexico, and Rafael Grossi, the current director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, nominated by Argentina.
In a letter to UN member states on Wednesday, UNGA President Annalena Baerbock revealed the modalities of the interactive dialogues with the candidates, scheduled for the week of April 20.
The dialogues will be structured around the three pillars of the United Nations, namely peace and security, human rights and development. Each candidate will present their vision, followed by questions and engagement from member states, according to the letter.
Nominations must be submitted in advance of the interactive dialogues, and no later than April 1, for candidates to be eligible to participate, the letter added.
By a 53-47 vote, the Republican-led upper chamber blocked the resolution, which is intended to prevent Trump from ordering further military strikes on Iran without congressional approval.
In floor speeches before the vote, Democrats largely lashed out at the military strikes against Iran while Republicans predominately defended the president.
Veteran Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, who co-sponsored the measure, said that “the administration and their shifting set of rationales, and even in a classified setting, could produce no evidence, none, that the U.S. was under an imminent threat of attack from Iran.”
“Have we learned nothing from 25 years of war in the Middle East? 14,000 American troops and contractors killed in Iran and Afghanistan … hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths … in Iran and Afghanistan, more than 8 trillion spent that could have been spent on American health care, on American housing, on American education, spent on the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. And what did we get for it?” said Kaine.
Democratic Senator Patty Murray, vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said “we should not gamble American lives on incomplete plans, unclear objectives and completely uncertain future.”
Republicans argued that Trump’s actions in Iran were necessary and justified, accusing Democrats of objecting to Trump’s actions for partisan reasons.
The military said the airstrikes now focus mainly on government targets in Tehran.
Earlier on Wednesday, Iran said 1,045 people had been killed in the country since Saturday as a result of the U.S.-Israeli operation.
Meanwhile, according to Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service, Iranian missiles have killed at least 10 people in Israel.
The joint U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran, entering its fifth day, has triggered a sharp escalation across the Middle East, setting off waves of missile exchanges, mounting casualties, and far-reaching political, security, and economic repercussions.
Iran said at total of 1,045 people had been killed in the country since Saturday as a result of the U.S.-Israeli operation.
In a post published on X, Destexhe criticised recent U.S. sanctions imposed on Rwanda’s military and defended Kigali’s position in the ongoing eastern Congo conflict.
“It is the DRC (Congo) that should be sanctioned, not Rwanda,” he wrote. “The DRC ignited this conflict by persecuting Congolese Tutsis.”
Destexhe accused Kinshasa of failing to uphold its commitments under international agreements, including United Nations Security Council Resolution 2773, and of maintaining ties with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a militia group formed by individuals responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi who fled to the DRC. He further pointed out that the Congolese government finances extremist Wazalendo militias and collaborates with foreign mercenaries.
According to Destexhe, ongoing bombings in Minembwe and drone strikes in eastern Congo demonstrate what he described as indiscriminate attacks affecting civilians. He argued that the ultimate objective of Kinshasa’s military posture appears to be confrontation with Rwanda.
His comments come days after the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) as an institution and four senior military officials, including Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Mubarakh Muganga and other top commanders. Washington accused Rwanda of backing the AFC/M23 rebel coalition operating in eastern Congo, allegations Kigali has consistently denied.
The Rwandan government expressed regret over the March 2, 2026, sanctions, calling them “unjust” and “one-sided.” In a statement, Kigali said the measures misrepresent the conflict and unfairly target only one party to the peace process.
Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo signed the Washington Accords in Washington, D.C., on December 4, 2025, aimed at restoring stability in eastern Congo. Under the agreement, Kinshasa committed to an irreversible and verifiable end to state support for the FDLR. However, the militia group remains active in the region despite the commitments outlined in the agreement.
Rwanda maintains that its actions along the border are defensive measures prompted by repeated attacks, including cross-border incidents.
In his post, Destexhe sharply criticised Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi, alleging corruption and mismanagement, and arguing that the Congolese military is incapable of securing a decisive victory against M23. He urged U.S. policymakers to reconsider their approach.
“Wake up, America!” he stated.
Alain Destexhe, a former Belgian senator and researcher, has criticised recent U.S. sanctions imposed on Rwanda’s military and defended Kigali’s position in the ongoing eastern Congo conflict.
According to media reports, his nomination was put forward by Burundi, which currently chairs the African Union (AU).
The President of the General Assembly has acknowledged receipt of the nomination, formally placing Sall among the candidates seeking to lead the global body.
The next Secretary-General will serve a five-year term starting January 1, 2027, succeeding António Guterres, whose second term ends in December 2026.
Sall, who led Senegal from 2012 to 2024, joins what is shaping up to be a competitive field. Other reported contenders include former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Under UN procedures, the Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council.
The Council first conducts informal straw polls before forwarding a name for approval. Any of its five permanent members; China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, can block a candidate by veto.
Sall’s candidacy comes amid renewed calls for regional rotation in the UN’s top post, with Africa yet to produce a Secretary-General since the organization was founded in 1945.
The selection process is expected to gather momentum in the months ahead as more nominations emerge and consultations among member states intensify.
The passout ceremony marking the completion of military training for the recruits was held in Lumangabo on March 2, 2026.
Addressing the new fighters, AFC/M23 military commander Maj Gen Sultani Makenga sharply criticized the Kinshasa administration, accusing it of misrule and fueling insecurity across the country.
He alleged that President Tshisekedi has weakened state institutions and allowed armed groups and irregular forces to operate with impunity.
Maj Gen Makenga claimed that the movement’s objective is to “liberate the country” and end what he described as targeted violence against civilians.
He accused the government of arming militias and incorporating foreign fighters, including elements linked to the FDLR terrorist group, into the national army. He further alleged that such actions had contributed to ethnic tensions and civilian suffering.
According to Maj Gen Makenga, large numbers of Congolese refugees fled to neighboring countries due to violence attributed to FARDC troops and allied groups.
“That is why our movement decided to rise and bring an end to these problems,” he told the recruits. “By joining this force, you must be ready to liberate Congo and protect its people. You must demonstrate discipline and prove that you are different from what the population experienced before.”
He urged former FARDC soldiers now integrated into AFC/M23 to uphold strict ethical standards and avoid misconduct.
“Wherever you pass, civilians should see a difference. They must see protectors, not looters,” he said. “Our people have endured years of suffering; displacement, killings, and exile. It is your responsibility to help end that hardship.”
Maj Gen Makenga reiterated that the coalition seeks what it describes as a reformed and inclusive state, and called on the fighters to remain committed to that objective.
During the ceremony, the recruits responded affirmatively when asked whether they were prepared to remove the current leadership in Kinshasa.
Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has faced prolonged conflict involving FARDC, Wazalendo local militias, fighters linked to the FDLR, Burundian troops, foreign mercenaries, and AFC/M23 forces.
The coalition maintains that its struggle is aimed at defending communities it says have faced discrimination and violence, while pursuing political change.
The new special force recruits include former members of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC).
