The conflict in Eastern DR Congo remains a global concern, with many overlooking its root causes, which led the M23 rebel group to resume armed conflict in 2021.

In January 2025, the war escalated further when M23 seized Goma, warning that they would continue advancing toward Kinshasa if the DRC government refused peace talks.

Following Goma’s capture, the UN Security Council convened twice. Russia’s UN Ambassador, Vasily Alekseyevich Nebenzya, stressed that the crisis is deeply rooted in colonial history and called for the resumption of the Nairobi and Luanda peace talks to secure lasting stability.

A long-standing issue in the conflict is the marginalization of Kinyarwanda-speaking communities in the DRC.

Their plight has gained more attention due to the continued presence of the FDLR, a group responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Rwanda maintains that regional peace is impossible without eradicating the FDLR, which continues to spread genocidal ideology, particularly among the youth.

Currently, the FDLR is fighting alongside the FARDC, Burundian troops, mercenaries, and local Wazalendo militias, with a shared objective of defeating M23 and topple Rwanda’s leadership.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe has held a phone conversation with Bogdanov Mikhail Leonidovich.