Daniel Massamba Meboya

  The eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been trapped in a cycle of insecurity for decades. Armed groups, local rivalries, and regional power dynamics have turned this part of the country into one of the world’s most volatile zones. Yet, while media and political discourse often fixate on figures like Corneille Nangaa, the real challenges—and the levers for lasting peace—lie far beyond the headlines. Recent diplomacy by President Antoine-Félix Tshilombo has shifted the spotlight to a broader, regional strategy. Through aggressive yet calculated negotiation, the DRC secured a peace accord with Rwanda, placing Kigali under heightened U.S. oversight. This move illustrates a critical truth: the stability of eastern DRC depends as much on international diplomacy and regional cooperation as it does on local actors. Tshilombo’s approach has forced Rwanda “up against the wall,” demonstrating that bold diplomacy can create space for peace and shift entrenched power dynamics. ...

  Rubaya mining site - Photo courtesy of GettyImages RUBAYA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO — Julien Kakesa is 51 years old, but in the serrated hills of the Masisi Territory, age is measured not in years, but in the amount of red earth one has moved by hand. For Julien, a father of five, every gram of coltan extracted from the slopes of Rubaya is a bitter paradox: he handles the minerals that power the world’s high-tech future, yet he lives in a primitive, terrifying past. Since 2014, Julien has toiled in this global hub, a site responsible for nearly 30% of the world’s coltan. While tech giants in San Francisco and Seoul thrive on this ore, Julien’s reality is defined by the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels, illegal extraction, and the constant threat of the earth swallowing him whole. "I hardly make ends meet with my small family," Julien says, his voice raspy from a decade of inhaling mineral dust. "I know I am giving all I can to help exploit minerals worth a fortun...

  Bujumbura, 22 August 2024 – In the Great Lakes Region increasingly defined by prolonged conflict and insecurity, the inaugural Regional Forum on Women, Peace and Security kicked off in the Burundian capital city, Bujumbura, in the presence of H.E. Evariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi, Ms. Fatou Dieng Thiam, Representative of the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General, Amb. João Samuel Caholo, Executive Secretary of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), Ms. Liberata Mulamula, a Tanzanian diplomat presently serving as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation and ex-First Executive Secretary of the ICGLR, among others.  Ms. Bineta Diop, Special Envoy to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, attended and addressed participants virtually. Organized under the theme: under the theme ; “Promoting the regional agenda for Peace, Security and Economi...