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Jeune Afrique, citing sources privy to the tensions that followed the capture of Uvira, reports that Kinshasa feared the conflict could spread to other provinces, including Kalemie in Tanganyika, and sought help to counter the rebel advance.

However, Angola refused to send troops, reminding President Félix Tshisekedi that even when the Southern African Development Community (SADC) force was deployed in North Kivu, Angolan soldiers had not been involved. Instead, Luanda proposed political mediation.

On December 14, Tshisekedi visited Angola to meet President João Lourenço, who also chairs the African Union (AU), to discuss dialogue options. Tshisekedi returned on January 5, 2026, agreeing with Lourenço that discussions should include a broad range of Congolese actors, from political opponents to armed groups such as AFC/M23, with talks planned for Kinshasa.

Following the meetings, Lourenço conducted discreet consultations with potential participants, including former President Joseph Kabila and his close associates Moïse Nyarugabo and Raymond Tshibanda. The aim was to prepare a new phase of dialogue, although both governments have avoided calling it a “new peace process.”

AFC/M23 leader Corneille Nangaa, who had earlier communicated the withdrawal of M23 fighters from Uvira in a “confidence-building measure”, requested clarification on how these discussions would differ from the ongoing Doha talks. The rebels were invited to Luanda as part of preparations for the Kinshasa talks, but sought assurances that the initiative would not undermine previous agreements.

Tshisekedi returned to Luanda on January 8 to finalise the list of participants, according to diplomatic sources.

Angola is said to be engaging church leaders and opposition figures in the proposed Kinshasa talks, while carefully avoiding the term “new peace process.”

The behind-the-scenes efforts mark a subtle relaunch of Angola’s role as a mediator in the DRC conflict after President Lourenço had announced he was stepping back from mediation following his election as African Union chair in March 2025.

The announcement was made during a meeting on January 12, 2026, attended by AFC/M23 leadership and prominent figures from North Kivu province in eastern DRC.

Addressing the gathering, Nangaa referred to Kabila as a “visitor” in the area and promised a future public appearance.

“Here we have a visitor, the former President of the Republic, Joseph Kabila,” Nangaa said. “Do you know he is here? One day we will bring him so that he can come and greet you. He remains a lifelong Senator as provided by the Constitution, although he was removed from the Senate.”

This is the first public acknowledgment of Kabila’s presence since he was last seen in AFC/M23-controlled territory in June 2025.

During that earlier visit, Kabila spent several days meeting Congolese citizens from diverse backgrounds, holding discussions focused on restoring peace to the country. He set up a temporary office at his private residence in the Kinyogote neighbourhood, in western Goma.

Shortly after that June visit, the Kinshasa Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into Kabila’s activities. He was subsequently tried in the Military High Court, convicted in absentia of treason and membership in an illegal armed group, and sentenced to death.

After June 2025, Kabila traveled to various African countries, including Kenya, where he established a political coalition named ‘Sauvons le RDC’ (Save the DRC), aimed at addressing the country’s challenges.

Escalona replaces Anibal Coronado, who will serve as minister of Ecosocialism, Rodriguez said on Telegram.

“I know that his loyalty, ability and commitment will ensure the continued development of our Bolivarian Government’s plans together with the people,” Rodriguez said of Escalona.

Trump made the comments in a January 7, 2026, interview with The New York Times, where he emphasised that simply having a military presence on the island is not enough for him.

Trump argued that owning Greenland outright would provide strategic and psychological advantages that cannot be achieved through existing agreements or leases. Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark with significant self‑government, already hosts a U.S. military presence under a Cold War‑era defence agreement, but Trump said that “ownership gives you a thing that you can’t do” through those arrangements.

When asked by a New York Times reporter whether it was psychologically important to him personally or to the United States as a whole, Trump responded without hesitation that it was “psychologically important for me.” He added, “Maybe another president would feel differently, but so far I’ve been right about everything.”

In the interview, Trump also hinted that he would be willing to consider using military force if necessary to acquire the Arctic territory, though he acknowledged that such action “might upset NATO,” since Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, a NATO member.

The idea of owning Greenland has drawn widespread criticism from both allies and experts. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reiterated Denmark’s commitment to Greenland’s sovereignty and self‑determination, and many European leaders have rejected the notion of a U.S. takeover.

Greenland’s own government has strongly rebuffed Trump’s comments, insisting that decisions about the territory’s future belong to Greenlanders and Denmark under international law. EU officials have warned that any attempt by the United States to take over by force could jeopardise the future of NATO, as the alliance would be obligated to defend a fellow member state.

China has also criticised Trump’s stance, calling it self‑serving, and military analysts have dismissed the idea that ownership is necessary for defence, noting that the U.S. already maintains extensive global military partnerships without controlling foreign territory.

Trump’s remarks come amid rising geopolitical competition in the Arctic, where strategic resources and new shipping routes are attracting attention from major powers including Russia and China. As debates over Greenland’s future continue, Trump’s comments have added a controversial chapter to U.S. foreign policy discussions.

U.S. “President (Donald) Trump has always expressed that diplomacy is the first option,” Leavitt said on Fox News. “However, he is unafraid to use the lethal force and might of the United States military if and when he deems that necessary.”

“What President Trump will do next only he knows, so the world will have to keep waiting and guessing, and we will let him decide,” she said, refusing to discuss any potential U.S. actions or policy decisions concerning Iran.

Leavitt said the U.S. forces last year “totally obliterated” the Iranian nuclear program, which she described as the Middle Eastern country’s “greatest leverage.”

Trump said Sunday his administration is weighing “some very strong options” including potential military action against Iran, claiming Iran was “starting” to cross the U.S. red line.

The U.S. president is scheduled to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine on Tuesday to weigh U.S. options, which could include boosting antigovernment sources online, deploying secretive cyber weapons against Iranian military and civilian sites, placing more sanctions on Iran and military strikes, as well as the possibility of the U.S. sending terminals of Starlink, a satellite-based internet service owned by Elon Musk, into Iran for the first time during the Trump administration, according to a Wall Street Journal report on Sunday.

The agreement was signed on January 8, 2026, at Toyota Rwanda Ltd’s headquarters in Karuruma, Kigali.

The collaboration enables I&M Bank customers, and anyone interested in banking with I&M, to buy Toyota vehicles with special discounts and streamlined loan arrangements.

Kayihura Yves, Head of Retail Banking and Branch Operations at I&M Bank Rwanda, said the partnership will strengthen business ties between the two organisations and remove financial barriers for those who want to own new Toyota vehicles.

“This collaboration between I&M Bank Rwanda and Toyota Rwanda will help our customers access high-quality vehicles. The bank will provide the vehicles as collateral, so customers will not need to offer additional assets,” he explained.

He added that I&M Bank will also offer vehicle insurance through a dedicated department, allowing customers to complete all required services in one place and without delays.

Nenad Predrevac, Managing Director of Toyota Rwanda Ltd, described the partnership as a commitment to enhancing customer services and deepening the existing relationship with I&M Bank.

Patrick Kanyandekwe, Operations Manager at Toyota Rwanda, emphasised that the agreement will deliver price discounts and faster vehicle delivery for eligible customers.

“Any I&M Bank customer, or anyone who chooses to work with the bank, can receive discounts on the vehicles they want and benefit from prompt service, whether they approach us through the bank or directly at Toyota Rwanda,” he said.

He also noted that Toyota Rwanda handles post-sale maintenance and currently offers 13 different vehicle models.

In a statement, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) said it was deeply concerned by reports that Grok, an AI tool available on X, had been used to create and share illegal non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material.

The office described the case as “the highest priority” and noted that it could block access to the service “where appropriate.”

If the investigation determines that the company has breached the law, Ofcom said it can require the platform to take specific measures to come into compliance or remedy harm caused by any violations. The regulator can also impose financial penalties of up to 18 million pounds (24.27 million U.S. dollars), or 10 percent of the company’s qualifying worldwide revenue.

In what it described as “the most serious cases of ongoing non-compliance,” Ofcom said it can apply to a court for orders to require advertisers or payment providers to withdraw from the platform, or to demand internet service providers to block access to a site in the country.

However, the regulator stressed that such measures would be taken only “where appropriate and proportionate to prevent significant harm to individuals” in Britain.

X’s Grok AI tool has come under mounting criticism following reports that it was used to generate allegedly illegal sexual content. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had previously said that the use of Grok to create illegal images was “disgraceful” and “disgusting.”