[Namibian] The rebel group which last week seized the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) city of Uvira say they have begun withdrawing, promising to complete the pullout on Thursday, following pressure from the United States (US).

[Monusco] On December 18, the Ndoromo military camp on the outskirts of Bunia held a closing ceremony for troops who recently completed an intensive training course designed to strengthen the operational capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC).

[New Times] United States Senator Lindsey Graham has said he is saddened to hear that AFC/M23 movement forces withdrawing from Uvira, a strategic town in eastern DR Congo that they had captured on December 10, are being attacked by the Congolese army coalition.

[New Times] US-based Rwandan Jeff Mugongo went viral after sharing a deeply emotional video of his 93-year-old grandfather, Gatera, who traveled more than 9,000 miles ( approx. 14,500 kilometers) from Rwanda to surprise him at his wedding in Phoenix, Arizona in November.

[New Times] The AFC/M23 movement on Wednesday, December 17, begun pulling out its forces from the town of Uvira in eastern DR Congo in accordance with an announcement it made earlier this week, reports indicate.

[New Times] In the last piece in the series, we realised that rather than addressing the socio-economic issues inherited from the colonialists and the First Republic, the new regime continued dividing Rwandans by ethnicity, enforcing the continued persecution and discrimination of the Tutsi.

[New Times] The National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) released the 2025 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS) on December 17 in Kigali, showing progress as well as challenges in a number of areas.

[New Times] Rwanda has recorded a reduction in child undernutrition, with stunting declining from 33 per cent in 2020 to 27 per cent in 2025, according to the (2021-2025) Demographic and Health Survey (DHS).

[CPJ] In his campaign to win an eighth term, Cameroonian President Paul Biya pledged to «strengthen measures to protect freedom of expression and journalists» in one of Africa's most dangerous countries for the press.

[JusticeInfo.net] On December 15, a French court sentenced 67-year-old former Congolese rebel leader Roger Lumbala to 30 years in prison. This comes as armed violence is intensifying in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

[allAfrica]

[HRW] Nairobi -- National Authorities Need to Address Rising Intercommunal Violence

[allAfrica]

[Monusco] Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), including digital violence, continues to affect many communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Despite actions taken by MONUSCO and its partners, NGOs and associations working in the field believe that prevention and support mechanisms remain insufficient given the scale of the phenomenon, particularly in Ituri province.

[New Times] A centre of excellence for crop biotechnology is set be established to develop and deploy disease-resistant seeds under a new five-year project, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources.

[HRW] Nairobi -- Warring Parties Should Protect Population in Uvira; Improve Access to Aid

[Unicef] Kinshasa/Bujumbura/New York -- "UNICEF is deeply alarmed by the rapid escalation of hostilities in South Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has forced hundreds of thousands of children and families to flee for safety, both within DRC and across borders into Burundi and Rwanda.

[HRW] The fall of Uvira, the second largest city in South Kivu province, to the Rwandan-backed armed group March 23 Movement (M23) on 10 December must catalyse the European Union (EU) and its member states' response to the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Our organizations - Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) - call on the EU and its member states to redouble action on the conflict in

[Monusco] In a context marked by persistent armed violence and the spread of false information, MONUSCO brought together representatives of local authorities, security forces, and community leaders from the Lubero territory in Beni around a common objective: strengthening civilian protection by addressing the destabilizing effects of disinformation.

[New Times] President Paul Kagame has promoted two senior officers to the rank of Brigadier General in a wave of promotions that elevates more than 20,000 soldiers across all ranks, the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF announced on Friday, December 12.

[UN News] More than half a million people have now been uprooted by escalating violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) the UN said on Thursday, warning that the M23 rebel offensive is driving a rapidly worsening humanitarian emergency.

[New Times] Excitement builds up as Morocco welcomes the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) scheduled for December 21 to January 18, 2026.

[New Times] Mediation has delivered significant results in Rwanda's justice system, with more than 20,000 cases resolved in 2025 across business, family, governance, and employment-related disputes. However, the same level of success has not been reflected in divorce cases, Chief Justice Domitilla Mukantaganzwa has said.

[OCHA] The UN and partners are appealing for $5.1 billion to deliver essential lifesaving aid and protection in West and Central Africa. Funding shortfalls have forced humanitarians to shrink the response and make tough choices about where to focus efforts and who can be supported among the most vulnerable communities.

[Unicef] Kinshasa -- UNICEF warns about the devastating impact as children account for nearly one in four cases

[New Times] As climate change tightens its grip and urban populations grow, the urgency of adopting nature-based solutions has never been more pressing. Rwanda's latest initiative, the Kigali Wetlands Revamp, is not only a bold environmental move but a globally significant model of how cities can harmonize development with sustainability.

[New Times] The return this weekend of more than 300 Congolese refugees from Kamanyola is a welcome reminder that peace, even when fragile, remains possible. Each family crossing back with hope in their hearts is proof that the people of eastern DR Congo are not asking for much.

[U.S. Embassy Bujumbura] U.S. Embassy in Burundi

[Dabanga] Adré, Chad -- A drone strike on the weekly market in Adikon, near the Adré crossing at the Sudan-Chad border, left a large number of civilians dead and injured on Friday afternoon after a missile hit the market area, as well as humanitarian aid trucks en route to North Darfur and Kordofan. A resident of Adikon said the drone struck the market directly, causing heavy civilian casualties. She reported that more than ten charred bodies were recovered from shops that were completely destroyed by the explosions and

[allAfrica] After 30 years of bloodshed, proxy wars, and political theatre, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have signed a peace agreement that many are calling historic. But in the Great Lakes region, where hope and disappointment walk side by side, it is fair to ask: Is this the beginning of peace--or another carefully choreographed illusion?

[New Times] President Paul Kagame and his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi on Thursday, December 4, signed the peace accord in Washington DC, witnessed by US President Donald Trump. This agreement, officially known as the Washington Accords, is a result of more than eight months of US-brokered negotiations between Rwanda and DR Congo.

[Capital FM] Nairobi -- US President Donald Trump on Thursday presided over the signing of a landmark peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, declaring that the once-bitter rivals were turning the page on decades of bloodshed.

[RFI] The leaders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have formalised a peace deal in Washington at a summit hosted by US President Donald Trump, though fresh violence raises questions about the accord aimed at ending one of Africa's longest wars.

[CFR] In shallowly engaging with Kinshasa and Kigali, Washington does little to promote peace and risks insulating leaders from accountability.

[RFI] The leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda are meeting in Washington to endorse two long-negotiated agreements, in a United States-backed push to revive a fragile peace process. The summit comes amid ongoing violence in eastern DRC and an atmosphere of mistrust, making progress uncertain.