Félix Tshisekedi

Force in Play

Leading DRC government's multi-track diplomatic and military response

Congolese authorities have uncovered at least 171 bodies in two mass graves on the outskirts of Uvira, a city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that the M23 rebel group withdrew from in January after the United States requested the pullback as a trust-building gesture. Local officials and civil society groups say the victims were killed by M23 fighters who suspected them of ties to the Congolese army or pro-government militias. M23 denies involvement.

Updated Feb 27

Force in Play

Seeking to regain territory from M23 and leverage U.S. backing while facing domestic skepticism about concessions to Rwanda and foreign investors

In early 2025, a massive offensive by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebellion and its allies seized Goma and Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, displacing millions and triggering urgent diplomacy. The United States mediated the June 27 Washington Accord between Kinshasa and Kigali, ratified by Presidents Félix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame with Donald Trump on December 4, 2025, at the Donald J. Trump United States Institute of Peace. The deal promises Rwandan troop withdrawals, an end to Congolese support for anti-Rwanda militias, and a U.S.-linked economic framework centered on critical minerals.

Updated Feb 5

Force in Play

Leading diplomatic efforts against M23 while accusing Rwanda of peace deal violations

A landslide at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo killed more than 400 people on January 29, 2026—miners, children, and market workers buried when rain-soaked tunnels collapsed. The mine, controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group since May 2024, supplies roughly 15% of the world's coltan, which becomes tantalum capacitors in smartphones and aircraft engines worldwide. M23 extracts an estimated $800,000 monthly by taxing every gram of ore.

Updated Feb 5

Rule Changes

Partner in Washington Accord linking peace to investment and health cooperation

In 2025 the United States began dismantling its post-Cold War global health architecture: withdrawing from the World Health Organization, freezing most foreign aid, and abolishing USAID’s development role. On this foundation, the Trump administration unveiled an 'America First Global Health Strategy' that replaces large multilateral and NGO-run programs with tightly negotiated bilateral health compacts requiring partner governments to co-finance HIV, TB, malaria and outbreak response programs and gradually assume full responsibility. Kenya signed the first such deal on December 4, 2025, followed by Rwanda on December 5–6 with a $228 million compact; by early 2026, 15 nations had signed agreements committing over $16 billion, with the U.S. covering 100% of commodity costs in FY2026 before tapering support.

Updated Feb 5