Tshisekedi and Kagame for peace talks in Doha
On Thursday, Corneille Nangaa, head of the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), to which the rebel movement M23 also belongs, announced that he would not heed the joint call by Paul Kagame and Félix Tshisekedi for an immediate ceasefire. His troops would not fight at the behest of Rwanda, explained Nangaa, rejecting the appeal and once again calling for direct negotiations with the M23. The declaration was preceded by a personal meeting between the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Félix Tshisekedi, and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame on Tuesday in Doha, Qatar. In the presence of the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the two Heads of State agreed on an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in eastern DRC and reaffirmed their intention to continue the talks begun in Doha, according to a joint statement. This was later confirmed by both Congolese and Rwandan government circles. However, no concrete conditions regarding the framework conditions of a ceasefire agreement were published. Representatives of the M23 were not present at the negotiations, which were planned in secret.
The meeting in Doha came just a few days after the cancellation at short notice of planned talks as part of the Luanda Process (press review week 51/2024), a negotiating initiative of the African Union (AU). Angola’s President João Lourenço had invited a delegation from the Congolese government and representatives of the M23 to hold talks in the Angolan capital Luanda on Tuesday. However, these were cancelled by the rebels at short notice on Monday evening. They justified their decision with the sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) against high-ranking members of the M23, which were also imposed on Monday. Bertrand Bisimwa, President of the political arm of the M23, accused the EU of blocking the peace process in the long term with its sanctions. In addition to high-ranking M23 officials, the new sanctions were also aimed at Rwandan officers.
Angola’s foreign ministry said in a statement that although it welcomed all efforts to resolve the conflict in the east of the DRC, it was nonetheless surprised by the talks in Qatar, as African problems should have African solutions. According to analysts, however, Qatar’s involvement was no surprise, as the emirate has close contacts with both the DRC and Rwanda and has already mediated in the conflict at earlier points in time. Doha has also conducted successful negotiations in other conflicts and positioned itself as a mediator on the international stage.
Qatar’s involvement comes at a time when the US State Department has signalled to be open to a partnership with the DRC on critical minerals after a Congolese senator proposed a minerals-for-security deal. Among other things, mining concessions, the operation of a deep-sea harbour and cooperation with the US to build up a national stockpile of critical minerals – the DRC has large reserves of cobalt, lithium and uranium, among other things. In return, the US would provide support to bring the security situation in eastern DRC under control. After the Southern African Development Community (SADC) decided in an extraordinary meeting last Thursday to withdraw its military mission SAMIDRC after around one and a half years and many losses, support from the US could become even more important. However, the talks are still in the early stages.
Meanwhile, Rwanda announced the termination of all diplomatic relations with Belgium on Monday. Kagame accuses Belgium of bias in favour of the DRC, indiscrimination and neo-colonialism. In the European community, Belgium is one of the harshest critics and leading proponents of further sanctions against the East African country. Meanwhile, fighting continues in the east of the DRC. According to local media reports, there were further violent clashes on Thursday between the M23 and soldiers of the Congolese army and pro-government militias in the areas around the town of Walikale in the province of North Kivu, which has a population of 15,000. The capture of the town, which is located at a strategically important junction and has connecting roads to the towns of Kisangani in the north-east and Kindu in Maniema, is the rebel group’s westernmost advance since the beginning of the year. The M23 was able to take over the town almost without a fight, Radio Okapi reported.
USA expels South Africa’s Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool
Last Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool would be expelled from the United States. In a post on platform X, he accused Rasool of fuelling racist tensions and harbouring a hostile attitude towards America and US President Donald Trump and declared Rasool ‘persona non grata’. As a result, the diplomat was stripped of all ambassadorial privileges on Monday. He was ordered to leave the country by this Friday at the latest, as State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce later announced. In addition, Washington’s South Africa policy to date will be subjected to a serious review. The reaction from Pretoria states that the South African government regrets this development and reaffirms its willingness to continue bilateral cooperation with the US in order to overcome existing differences and maintain a constructive partnership.
The expulsion of Rasool, who had only been accredited as ambassador by Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden on 13 January – just one week before Trump took office – and had already served as ambassador in Washington from 2010 to 2015, further strains the already tense relations between the US and South Africa. In February, Trump drastically cut US financial aid to South Africa due to differences over South Africa’s land policy (press review CW 6/2025) and support for Palestine, in particular through the genocide lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Trump also issued a decree stating that Afrikaners – descendants of mainly Dutch settlers who came to South Africa in the 17th century – could be accepted as refugees as they are ‘victims of unjust racial discrimination’. As the South African Chamber of Commerce in the USA (Saccusa) announced this week, almost 70,000 people have so far expressed an interest in this offer. Other points of contention concern South Africa’s relations with BRICS Plus members Russia and Iran.
Against the backdrop of growing tensions between the US and South Africa – but also between the US and the European Union (EU) – an EU-South Africa summit was held in the South African port city of Cape Town last Thursday for the first time in seven years. At this meeting, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, who travelled to South Africa together with EU Council President António Costa, announced an investment package of 4.7 billion euros. Of this package, which is part of the European Global Gateway Initiative, 4.4 billion euros are earmarked to support a just transition to renewable energies. A further 303 million euros will support vaccine production and digital and physical connectivity infrastructure in the country. Talks were also held on a new trade agreement, a Clean Trade and Investment Partnership (CTIP). CTIPs are intended to represent a new generation of European trade agreements focussing on sustainable investment, the promotion of strategic industries and closer cooperation in the area of critical raw materials. South Africa is to be the first country with which the EU concludes such an agreement.
The results of the EU-South Africa summit are also gaining importance in light of the US withdrawal from the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). The partnership, originally announced at COP 26, aims to support South Africa in phasing out fossil fuels and accelerating a just transition to a low-emission, climate-resilient economy. According to the investment plan, the US contribution to South Africa’s Just Energy Transition (JET) amounted to USD 56 million in the form of grants and USD 1 billion in the form of commercial loans and equity investments from the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). This year will also see the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade agreement that grants South Africa and other selected African countries tariff exemptions or favours on a large number of products exported to the US. Exclusion from AGOA could have far-reaching economic consequences for South Africa, whose second-largest export market after China is the US – South Africa exported goods worth USD 14.7 billion to the US in 2024.
Breaking news: Sudanese army takes over presidential palace in Khartoum
Today, Friday, the Sudanese army announced the recapture of the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum. The palace, which also serves as the seat of government, had been occupied by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) movement since April 2023, as had other parts of the capital. The recapture represents a significant milestone for the army in the ongoing conflict. Several ministry buildings are now also back under the control of the military. However, an end to the war is still not in sight, as the RSF continues to control several important areas in the country and fighting in other regions is also ongoing
In other news
The Special Olympics World Winter Games 2025 in Turin came to an end on Saturday. From 9 to 15 March 2025, over 1,500 athletes from 100 delegations competed against each other in eight disciplines, delivering impressive performances in the competition for medals and setting an example for inclusion. African nations also caused a stir with their successes in Turin. Senegal made its debut at the Winter Games and competed with a total of eight athletes in the dance discipline – and was able to secure a silver and a bronze medal straight away. South Africa entered the competition with six athletes, who competed in figure skating and short track speed skating and won a total of one gold, three silver and two bronze medals. Namibia impressed with its first participation in international floorball and, with three victories and two defeats, made it into Division A. The focus is already on the next Special Olympics World Games, which will be held in Santiago, Chile, in 2027.