The President shared an update on his X platform on January 29, 2025, stating: “Had a productive conversation with US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio on the need to ensure a ceasefire in Eastern DRC and address the root causes of the conflict once and for all, and on the importance of deepening our bilateral ties based upon respect for our respective national interests. I look forward to working with the Trump Administration to create the prosperity and security that the people of our region deserve.”
This conversation took place amid escalating clashes between the M23 rebel group and the Congolese army, which have intensified in recent days. The M23 has gained control of Goma and surrounding areas, forcing numerous FARDC soldiers, allied militias, and foreign forces such as SAMIDRC and mercenaries to either surrender or flee to Rwanda.
The situation was followed by protests in Kinshasa on January 28, 2025, where demonstrators, backed by the Congolese government, gathered outside the embassies of Rwanda, the United States, Uganda, Kenya, and France, accusing these nations of supporting M23’s advances in Goma.
Speaking at a diplomatic reception at the Kigali Convention Centre on January 16, 2025, President Kagame reiterated that resolving the crisis in eastern DRC requires addressing its root causes rather than blaming Rwanda for Congo’s internal challenges.
He also questioned the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping forces, which have been in DRC for over 30 years without achieving meaningful results.
Additionally, he highlighted the continued presence of perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in eastern DRC.
Military spokesperson Felix Kulayigye told Xinhua that Uganda has been assigned an additional sector previously covered by Burundian forces.
Kulayigye explained that reinforcing Uganda’s presence in Somalia is necessary since the current number of troops is insufficient to manage both sectors.
He added that deployment will commence once AUSSOM finalizes the required paperwork.
Uganda has been part of peacekeeping efforts in Somalia since 2007. Until January, Burundi was among the countries contributing troops to the mission, alongside Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda.
The National Communication Authority (NCA), the industry regulator, said the aim of addressing graphic and defamatory content has been successfully achieved.
“The rise of violence linked to social media content in South Sudan underscores the need for a balanced approach that addresses the root causes of online incitement while protecting the rights of the population,” NCA Director General Napoleon Adok Gai said in a letter to telecommunications operators and internet service providers in the country.
The temporary ban followed a week-long suspension of the platforms, which began on January 22 after two days of riots that saw people killed, and shops looted and vandalized.
According to police, a total of 17 Sudanese nationals lost their lives across South Sudan in the night riots.
Several South Sudanese have been angered by footage from Sudan that shows the killings of South Sudanese nationals by the Sudanese Armed Forces on January 11 in Wad Madani, Al Jazirah State, Sudan.
Gai said the South Sudanese refugees in Wad Madani were subjected to violent attacks resulting in the deaths of women and children, subsequently captured in videos and shared on social media without regard.
The footage sparked deadly violent riots, particularly in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, and in three states: Warrap, Northern Bahr El Ghazal, and Warrap.
Gai said the ban was imposed to curb the circulation of content deemed to incite violence and instability.
The industry regulator, however, lauded internet service providers and mobile network operators for their cooperation during the blockade and urged stakeholders, including platform operators Meta and TikTok, to strengthen monitoring and report harmful content to prevent future incidents.
“The lifting of the blockage is part of our efforts to foster a safer digital environment and promote peace and stability in the country,” Gai said, adding that the regulator will be reaching out to all stakeholders in the future to avoid similar shutdowns.
Speaking on the evacuation process, Ozonnia Ojielo, the UN Resident Coordinator in Rwanda, commended the Rwandan government for its quick decision-making and exceptional efforts to ensure the safety of those at risk.
“I thank the government of Rwanda for the very timely approval. Because the security situation was evolving, which meant that the lives of those UN staff and their dependents were threatened, they could have become casualties of the fighting. But by the speed of the decision-making by the government of Rwanda, it meant that they were eager to help to secure free passage for these UN national staff,” Ojielo told members of the press on Tuesday.
He noted that, given the nature of the conflict, many evacuees fled without official documents. Despite this, Rwanda stepped in to host them and arranged hotel accommodations, even before securing funds for their stay.
More than 1,800 UN personnel and their families were evacuated to Rwanda on Monday after the conflict between the FARDC coalition forces and M23 rebels intensified in the eastern DRC. The individuals crossed through the Grande Barrière border post in Rubavu District.
The situation escalated after M23 captured Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province, on Monday, following the capture of several other strategic towns, including Sake and Masisi, over the past few weeks.
Ojielo described the government’s efforts at the border as highly organized and effective.
“You’ll be surprised that by 6 a.m. that same Monday, the entire architecture of government was at the border, on the Rubavu side. From state security, police, you name that, medical personnel, they were all there,” the official remarked.
Recognizing the efforts of ministries such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MINAFFET) and the Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA), he praised the seamless process through which evacuees were identified, transported, and accommodated.
“At Kigali Pele Stadium, the highest levels of government were present, coordinated by MINAFFET through Permanent Secretary, [and] the Inspector General of Police was in charge. People arrived by buses, they were processed. Rwanda Convention Bureau made elaborate arrangements with various hotels, people were put in buses, and taken to the hotels,” he explained.
The first group of evacuees, totalling 660 individuals—mostly women and children—arrived at Kigali Pele Stadium on Monday afternoon after being transported from the Rubavu border in military convoys. By the end of the day, over 1,832 individuals had been processed and accommodated in hotels.
“I cannot tell you how grateful we are as a United Nations country team in Rwanda to our government for the truly exceptional mobilization of capacities and resources of the government of Rwanda to support these UN staff come through,” Ojielo added.
The ongoing conflict in eastern DRC has forced multiple international organizations to evacuate non-essential personnel.
Rwanda became a critical evacuation hub after Goma’s airspace and waterways were shut down amid allegations by M23 that the Congolese army was using the airport to load bombs targeting civilians.
Ojielo noted that in the coming days, the focus will be on the safe return of non-essential UN staff to their home countries and continued support for refugees in Rwanda. Many of the UN personnel hosted by Rwanda are originally from Congo. Plans are in place to facilitate the return of those wishing to travel to Kinshasa by air.
“Though not all of those evacuated were refugees, Rwanda continues to host thousands of refugees, many of whom have fled the DRC over the past two decades,” Ojielo added.
He urged the international community to increase support for Rwanda’s ongoing efforts.
“I appeal to the international community to assist Rwanda in supporting the refugees, especially those who are still here or may come, as this is a significant burden for the country to shoulder,” Ojielo concluded.
The mobs protesting the fall of the capital and largest city of North Kivu Province to the M23 fighters targeted the embassies of Rwanda, the United States, France, South Africa, Uganda, and Kenya in the attacks.
The protest attacked and petrol-bombed the French Embassy, causing a fire. Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s foreign minister, condemned the violence terming it as “unacceptable”. He said the fire had been brought under control.
BREAKING: French embassy in Kinshasa 🇨🇩 “attacked and firebombed” but protesters were unable to enter, France’s foreign ministry tells CNN.
Security forces defending the embassy fired shots, the ministry said, but embassy staff are now safe pic.twitter.com/4MWyAr2Ho7
The protests also spread to the United Nations building. Security forces were forced to use tear gas to disperse the crowds outside the US Embassy, where protesters had breached the construction site of a new embassy building.
The demonstrators accused the foreign powers of failing to intervene effectively as M23 forces intensified their assault on Goma.
In an escalation of the conflict, M23 rebels have in recent weeks captured key towns in the eastern region in renewed fights with the Congolese army and a coalition of armed groups including FDLR, a genocidal force linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
East African Community (EAC) leaders are set to convene an emergency summit on Wednesday, January 29 to address the escalating security crisis in the eastern Congo.
Kenya’s President William Ruto, who also serves as the EAC Chairperson, confirmed the summit on Monday during a high-level retreat on African Union (AU) institutional reforms.
“We have agreed under the framework of the East African Community to convene an urgent extraordinary meeting and summit on the situation in Eastern DRC on Wednesday,” said President Ruto, who also serves as the EAC Chairperson.
“The situation in Eastern DRC now demands our collective focus. And as the chair of the East African Community, I will be convening this meeting.”
M23 asserts that its fight is centred on defending the Tutsi minority in eastern DRC, who have faced decades of marginalization and persecution. Peace processes proposed to mediate the dispute in Luanda, Angola, and Nairobi, Kenya, have previously faced challenges, as the Congolese government opposes the inclusion of the group in the talks.
President Ruto emphasized that a military solution is not viable, advocating instead for dialogue and engagement with all stakeholders to find the root cause of the problem.
“Engagement, dialogue, consultations is the only viable way out of the situation in DRC,” he said. “A direct engagement with M23 and all the other stakeholders in the theatre in Eastern DRC is a necessity.”
Kenya’s President William Ruto, who also serves as the EAC Chairperson, confirmed the summit on Monday during a high-level retreat on African Union (AU) institutional reforms.
“We have agreed under the framework of the East African Community to convene an urgent extraordinary meeting and summit on the situation in Eastern DRC on Wednesday,” said President Ruto, who also serves as the EAC Chairperson.
“The situation in Eastern DRC now demands our collective focus. And as the chair of the East African Community, I will be convening this meeting.”
The crisis in Eastern DRC has persisted for decades, marked by conflicts involving armed groups, regional interventions, and humanitarian challenges, including the deaths and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.
In an escalation of the conflict, M23 rebels have in recent weeks captured key towns in the eastern region in renewed fights with the Congolese army and a coalition of armed groups including FDLR, a genocidal force linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Goma, the capital and largest city of the North Kivu Province, fell under the control of M23 fighters on Monday, prompting concerns from various quarters on the security situation in the eastern Congo.
In his address to the media, President Ruto termed the situation in the volatile regions “very complicated”.
“This is a situation that has festered for 30, 40 years. We’ve had a UN peacekeeping mission there for the last 20 years. We’ve had forces from the East African Community in and out. We’ve had forces from SADC in and maybe out,” he stated.
M23 asserts that its fight is centred on defending the Tutsi minority in eastern DRC, who have faced decades of marginalization and persecution. Peace processes proposed to mediate the dispute in Luanda, Angola, and Nairobi, Kenya, have previously faced challenges, as the Congolese government opposes the inclusion of the group in the talks.
President Ruto emphasized that a military solution is not viable, advocating instead for dialogue and engagement with all stakeholders to find the root cause of the problem.
“Engagement, dialogue, consultations is the only viable way out of the situation in DRC,” he said. “A direct engagement with M23 and all the other stakeholders in the theatre in Eastern DRC is a necessity.”
He confirmed that the summit will bring together regional leaders, including DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, both of whom have confirmed their attendance. The two leaders differ sharply on the root causes of the crisis that has led to tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
The Kenyan Head of State stressed that the ongoing crisis in Eastern DRC and several other parts of the continent has significant implications for regional stability and development.
“Without and unless we deal with the conflicts in our continent, it will become almost impossible to undertake any meaningful investment or development or economic activity in our continent,” President Ruto stated during the retreat.
He emphasized the need for Africa to rethink its approach to peace and security, noting, “Our response has been uncoordinated, under-resourced, and not very well planned.”
The retreat proposed the establishment of a high-level panel to strengthen the continent’s conflict response and financing mechanisms.
As the region prepares for Wednesday’s summit, hopes are high that the engagement will pave the way for meaningful dialogue and actionable strategies to resolve the long-standing crisis in Eastern DRC.
Additionally, over 600 residents living near the border have been relocated to a camp in Nyabihu District for safety.
Fighting in the area has intensified since the capture of Goma by the M23 rebel group.
FARDC, alongside allied groups such as the FDLR terrorist group and Wazalendo militia, has been firing across the Rwandan border.
Rwanda’s military reported intercepting some projectiles, but stray bullets resulted in casualties and injuries.
Speaking to RBA, Mukuralinda confirmed the death toll had risen to nine.
Earlier, Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Spokesperson Brig Gen Ronald Rwivanga told IGIHE that 35 people had been injured by gunfire from FARDC coalition, with some in critical condition.
Mukuralinda also reported that 681 residents near the border fled to avoid the gunfire and are now being housed at the Kijote Camp in Bigogwe Sector, Nyabihu District. Additionally, five houses in Rubavu District were damaged.
Despite the tension, Mukuralinda assured residents in Rubavu of their safety, emphasizing that the RDF is actively protecting the population. He noted that gunfire heard on Monday had significantly subsided.
Addressing rumors circulating on social media about FARDC troops allegedly crossing into Rwanda, Mukuralinda dismissed these claims.
“There’s been misinformation suggesting that FARDC, FDLR, and Wazalendo forces crossed the Rwandan border, causing destruction and taking control of some administratice offices. None of this is true. The situation is under control, and Rwanda’s security forces are ensuring the safety of the population,” he said.
He clarified that any FARDC soldiers seen in Rwanda had surrendered with their weapons and were in the custody of the RDF.
Mukuralinda also highlighted Rwanda’s ongoing support for refugees fleeing Goma. So far, over 1,200 Congolese refugees have crossed into Rwanda and have been relocated to the Rugerero Transit Camp.
Meanwhile, efforts are underway to reopen schools in Rubavu, which were temporarily closed due to the conflict. Authorities aim to reassure students and resume classes, with schools expected to reopen by Wednesday.
The capture of the airport occurred less than 48 hours after M23 seized the city of Goma. Confirming the development on his X account, Lt. Col. Ngoma stated, “The airport of Goma is fully secured by the lions [M23 forces].”
On January 26, 2025, M23 shut down the airspace over the airport, claiming it was being used by the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) and allied militias to transport weapons that endangered civilians.
Meanwhile, the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), particularly around Goma, continues to escalate.
Goma International Airport is a critical hub for North Kivu, serving as the region’s primary gateway for air transport. As of 2020, the facility could accommodate up to seven Airbus A320 planes simultaneously.
The airport has long been a vital logistical base for FARDC, United Nations peacekeeping operations (MONUSCO), international organizations, and commercial entities operating in eastern DRC.
When asked late Monday about Microsoft’s involvement, Trump responded, “I would say yes,” adding that there is “great interest in TikTok.”
However, he stopped short of naming other US firms potentially interested in the deal.
“I like bidding wars because you make your best deals,” Trump remarked while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Miami to Washington, DC.
Both TikTok and Microsoft are yet to comment on the matter.
The video-sharing app briefly went offline in the US on January 18, complying with a law requiring its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its ownership of the platform or face a nationwide ban.
President Trump’s decision to suspend the enforcement of this law for 75 days upon taking office gave his administration time to seek alternatives.
The move marks a significant policy shift from his previous stance during his first term when he attempted to ban TikTok outright over alleged national security concerns. During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump reversed course, pledging to “save” the platform while addressing security fears.
The controversy surrounding TikTok has spanned administrations. Former President Joe Biden signed the law mandating ByteDance’s divestment, citing bipartisan concerns over the platform’s potential to harvest Americans’ personal data and influence public discourse. Earlier this month, the US Supreme Court unanimously upheld the law.
EAPCCO is a coalition of 14 East African nations working together to combat transnational crimes that affect member states.
Typically, all member countries participate in such meetings to collectively make decisions. However, any absent member is expected to provide a reason for their nonattendance.
At the start of the first session, which gathered representatives of criminal investigation agencies from member countries, only 13 out of 14 countries were present.
The DRC was the only nation absent. IGIHE has learnt that DRC did not provide an explanation for its absence.
The DRC’s decision not to attend comes at a time when relations between Rwanda and the DRC remain strained.
According to EAPCCO regulations, an absent member that does not provide a reason cannot prevent the meeting from proceeding or stop decisions from being made.
However, once decisions are approved, any absent country has the right to object to specific resolutions or opt not to implement them within its jurisdiction.
The decision-making process at the EAPCCO General Assembly occurs in three stages. In the first stage, representatives of criminal investigation agencies draft a report outlining the year’s agreed priorities.
This report is then submitted to police chiefs during the second session, where it is reviewed and adjusted. Finally, the revised report is presented to ministers responsible for police affairs in member countries for final approval.
Established in 1998, EAPCCO consists of 14 member states namely; Rwanda, Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and DRC.
