South Africa often uses its diplomatic heft to position itself as defender of the "global south" on the world stage, but the deaths of 13 of its soldiers in eastern Congo fighting have exposed an inability to project hard power in its own backyard.

Rwanda-backed rebels claimed on Monday they captured eastern Congo’s strategic city of Goma, the hub of a region containing trillions of dollars in mineral wealth that remains largely untapped.

Goma in Eastern DRC was captured by the M23 rebel group, backed by Rwanda. This swift takeover highlights significant issues within the DRC's political and military structures. Explore the historical roots of this conflict and its implications for peace in the region.

Israeli Arbel Yehoud, 29, who had been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, is escorted by Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters as she is handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday Jan. 30, 2025. Abdel Kareem Hana/AP

The Congolese government forces (FARDC), fighting alongside a coalition of other forces, recently intensified their battle against the March 23 Movement (M23) in the eastern DR Congo. In response, the M23,

When M23 rebels swept into the Congolese city of Goma this week, world powers urged them to immediately withdraw. Instead, the Rwanda-backed insurgents are intent on showing they can restore order and govern.

Congressionally Chartered. Scholarship Driven. Fiercely Nonpartisan.

Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has vowed “a vigorous and coordinated response” against a rebel alliance that has besieged swaths of the nation’s mineral-rich east and forced hundreds of local troops and foreign mercenaries to surrender.

President of the Democratic Republic of Congo said on Thursday that his troopers are fighting an insurgence by the Rwandan-backed militant group M23 which recently captured swaths of land in the east.

President Paul Kagame has urged his counterparts from the East African Community (EAC) to pull in the same direction and avoid being manipulated in attempts to find a solution to the security challenges blighting DR Congo.

On January 27, the March 23 (M23) rebel movement in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo entered Goma and took control of major parts of the city. The M23’s movement into Goma is a drastic escalation in what has been cycles of violence, rebellion, and international engagement in the region.