DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Security
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- President Tshisekedi turned down Qatari-sponsored mediation. Largely over the direct business connection between Rwanda & Qatar such as trading gold stolen from DRC.
- M23 accused FARDC of procuring tactical drones aimed at targeting its camps.
- Fighting resumed in Masisi and Rutshuru with FARDC inflicting losses on the rebels.
- In Beni, the threat of terrorism is steadily on the rise with the terror group ISCAP increasing attacks
- EACRF continues regular peace enforcement patrols in areas ceded by M23 Rebels.
- Protests erupted in Goma city as residents protested against the “passivity” of the EACRF against rebels accused of committing violence. Residents and the EAC force appear to be at loggerheads: the force’s mandate is to support the political peace process while the residents who were hoping for a full combat response against the rebels are dissatisfied with the approach.
- DRC received military equipment from Turkey, less than a month after the UN lifted sanctions on FARDC. The weapons will strengthen army units in fighting against several armed groups and the M23. And ISCAP.
- Mass graves with 49 people were discovered in Ituri province. Massacres continue to stir fear among the population. This is despite the presence of various allied troops in the region.
- President Tshisekedi said that Rwanda is the instigator of insecurity in the Great Lakes during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.
- Under the Luanda agreement signed in November 2022, DR Congo was tasked with disarming armed groups including the genocidal FDLR militia, and ceasing hostilities. However, little has been done on the DR Congo side. Instead, Kinshasa authorities continue inciting the public to protest against efforts geared toward restoring normalcy in eastern DR Congo.
Economy
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- DRC is among the five poorest nations in the world.
- The DRC’s macroeconomic environment is showing resilience despite the deteriorating global economic environment. Real GDP is showing resilience, with growth largely supported by higher-than-projected mining production.
- Higher metal prices are likely to offset higher food and oil prices and lead to improved terms of trade and a balanced current account.
- The US signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia to strengthen electric vehicle (EV) battery value chains.
- DRC recently discovered electrically charged rocks capable of direct lighting appliances.
- DRC to transform Lake Kivu’s methane into electricity. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) oil minister Didier Budimbu Ntubuanga has awarded three licenses to extract methane trapped at the bottom of the 480m deep Lake Kivu – which lies on the border between the DRC and Rwanda – to Canadian and American energy companies.
TANZANIA
Economy
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- Tanzania’s president Samia Suluhu Hassan urges the world to look to Africa for energy solutions saying that building regional power pools in East and Southern Africa can ensure energy security across the continent.
- Over 55,000 tonnes of coal have been exported through Mtwara Port to European and Asian countries, including Belgium, France, and Spain. The coal exported last week was mined in the Kitai Mines in Ruvuma Region by Jitegemee Holdings and Mighty Logistics.
- 70 companies are ready to settle in the 3 billion-dollar Sino-Tan Industrial Park in Kibaha, Coast Region. This project is expected to bring in nearly $6 billion in revenue annually once completed. It is projected to be the largest industrial park in Southern Africa and create over 400000 jobs.
- Statistics released by the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) revealed that Zanzibar’s export value declined $187.4 million in November 2022 from $195.7 million recorded during a similar period in 2021.
- Tanzania and Zambia plan to revive the Tazama pipeline; that transported crude oil products from Dar es Salaam to Zambia, where they were processed at the Indeni Refinery in Ndola, Zambia.
- Tanzania has been positioning herself as an energy giant with President Samia advocating for the self-sufficiency of Africa especially East and South Africa ahead of the global energy transition. Her campaign seeks to draw attention to Africa as a reliable source of energy that would mitigate future crises like the global rise in prices that were triggered by the Russian-Ukraine war.
Political & Security
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- Former leader of the opposition Chadema party, Tundu Lissu, is scheduled to return to Tanzania from exile in Belgium on 25 January. His return follows president Samia Suluhu Hassan’s recent decision to lift a ban on political rallies and meetings, marking the first major political reform carried out since she assumed office.
- President Samia has been making political reforms in the country following her reelection as the chairperson of the ruling CCM party in December 2022. The political reforms are illustrative of the extent to which she has consolidated control over the ruling CCM party
- Rwanda and Tanzania seek to enhance defense cooperation which has been in the works for the past couple of years with an MoU that would see border control and crime prevention, as well as sharing information and intelligence on transnational crimes.
RWANDA
Security
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- Rwanda accused Kinshasa of importing mercenaries from the Russian mercenary company, Wagner Group to aid its war against the M23. According to a statement by Kigali, DRC is gearing up for war by reportedly hiring foreign mercenaries which is a blatant undermining of the regional efforts to foster peace in the conflict-ridden eastern DRC.
- Rwanda appears to be positioning itself as a military giant in the EAC region with cooperation with Tanzania and her growing presence in Mozambique where it has troops in the restive resource-rich region of Cabo Delgado.
- RDF confirmed that the Ancuabe district in the south of Cabo Delgado, is a new sector under the responsibility of the Rwandan forces, as well as Palma and Mocímboa da Praia, in Mozambique. The Rwandan military and police contingent has been based since the beginning of the mission in Cabo Delgado in July 2021.
- The Congolese head of state has declared that the crisis in the DRC is blocking the economy and development in the Great Lakes region which he directly linked to being instigated by Rwanda. This was followed by an accusation from Kigali that hinted at the possibility of the DRC hiring Wagner Mercs to help with the war in the east of the Nation despite heavy peacekeeper presence in the region.
Economic
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- Rwanda signs four important energy agreements with Eni an Italian company to develop innovative joint initiatives in agriculture, protection of unique forest ecosystems, technology, and health.
UGANDA
Economic
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- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has announced plans to build a new standard gauge railway (SGR) that will link the country’s capital, Kampala, to the Kenyan border
- Uganda on Wednesday issued a final tender to a company controlled by TotalEnergies to construct a $3.5 billion oil pipeline through to Tanzania. The final approval will provide a way forward to the construction of the pipeline that will be used to transport the country’s crude to the international market.
MOZAMBIQUE
Security
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- Islamic State Mozambique (ISM) released a video that gave a glimpse at the training camps in Cabo Delgado. While the video highlights the group’s challenges including the lack of professional military expertise, especially in weapon handling, it has proven sufficient against Mozambican troops seeing as the militancy is still active five years later.
- Ancuabe district joins the area under the responsibility of Rwandan forces in Cabo Delgado as well as Palma and Mocímboa da Praia. The expansion of Rwandan troops’ AOR comes as the military’s recent financial support from the EU was announced.
- SAMIM announced that it was setting up a commission of inquiry to ascertain the circumstances under which soldiers who appeared to be South African members of the SADC force were burning corpses.
- ISM attacked a military convoy in Xitaxi in the Muidumbe district depicting an increase in attacks on security forces (ambushes or military bases). Insurgents remain reliant on these attacks in accessing weapons and arms.
Economy
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- Spanish electricity and infrastructure company Elecnor is planning to build a 30MW solar power plant in Chimuara, in the Mopeia district in the province of Zambezia
SOUTH SUDAN
Security &Political
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- South Sudan says it would uphold the death penalty despite repeated calls for a moratorium on executions in the country. The decision was reached after the Council of Ministers maintained that abolishing the death penalty would encourage South Sudanese to commit heinous crimes.
- The Joint Political and Security Mechanism (JPSM) between Sudan and South Sudan discussed ways to activate the cooperation agreements signed between the two countries in the fields of oil, trade, customs cooperation, and border crossings in September 2012. The two sides have had long-lasting tensions that have included accusations of violations from both sides. This is the first step in mending decades-long mistrust and fostering neighborliness and cooperation.
Security
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- The UN warned of the growing intercommunal fighting in several parts of the country especially in (Jonglei, Greater Pibor Administrative Area, Upper Nile, Western Equatoria, and Warrap State), saying it could derail the ongoing peace process. The conflicts that have ethnic undertones could interfere with the peace process especially now that the country is preparing for general elections next year.
